Easter ‘Carmageddon’ begins: Brits hit the roads ahead of Bank Holiday weekend with 14 million journeys planned
28 March 2024, 13:20 | Updated: 28 March 2024, 13:23
The big Easter getaway is underway with Brits warned to check before they travel as millions hit the roads and public transport.
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There will be around 14 million trips across the Bank Holiday weekend in what has been dubbed 'Carmageddon'.
Brits have been warned journeys will take twice as long as usual as the bank holiday coincides with the start of a two-week holiday for schools.
Around two million trips will take place today alone, according to the RAC and transport analysis company Inrix, with the worst congestion to be between 2pm and 7pm.
One of the busiest roads will be the western section of the M25 between the M23 for Gatwick Airport and the M1 for Hertfordshire, where journey times will double from two to four hours on average.
The Port of Dover is also expected to experience heavy traffic as thousands of Brits head to France. This will be made more severe due to increased security checks in France following last week's terrorist attack in Moscow.
Strong winds and heavy rain in some parts of the country will also contribute to the travel chaos.
The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning until 6pm today, covering the south coast of England, with gusts of up to 70mph forecast.
Travel disruption is not only expected on the roads but on public transport too, particularly on the trains.
Planned engineering works on the West Coast Main Line mean it will be closed between tomorrow and Easter Monday.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: "With Easter falling earlier than usual at the start of the school holidays, it could be carmageddon for holidaymakers.
"Anyone who can delay leaving on Thursday until much later in the evening or set off as early as possible on Good Friday is likely to have a better journey than those who travel during the peak periods of the day.
"Lengthy queues can be expected along routes to the usual hotspots like the West Country, the Lake District and the south coast, especially during the middle of the day when most people make trips."
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue added: "Although travel times will peak on Thursday and Friday afternoons, drivers should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend.
"To avoid the longest delays, we advise adjusting departure times so you're not travelling in peak commuter hours."
