Millions to take to road for busiest Easter bank holiday in years
Up to 20 million people are expected to take to the roads a day over the Easter holiday, the AA has warned.
Long queues are expected over the bank holiday weekend, with 19.8 million people anticipated to travel on Maundy Thursday (April 17) alone.
The AA said Easter weekend being three weeks later than in 2024 will 'bump up bank holiday traffic by 15 per cent'.
Combined with warmer temperatures than 2024, with forecasts predicting weekend highs of 18C or 19C across the country, this means more drivers are likely to get behind the wheel, the motor insurer said.
Tony Rich, the AA's head of road safety, said: 'The AA is predicting the busiest Easter on the roads since the pandemic, with Maundy Thursday being the single busiest day with 19.8 million people expected to be travelling.
'Easter falls later this year than it has for the previous two years, so this could be a factor in people deciding to head out.
'AA research shows that around 50 per cent of journeys will be under 50 miles, though – so the longer journey, for now at least, seems to be a thing of the past.'
A further 19.1 million motorists will be taking to the tarmac on Good Friday, he added. The traffic estimates are based on responses to a survey of 11,233 AA members.
Congestion is expected around town and city centres, retail parks and major highways such as the M6 at Birmingham and around the Blackpool area, the south and western section of the M25 between the M23 and M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire.
AA patrol of the year, Shaun Jones, advised drivers to carry out 'simple checks' such as ensuring tyres are properly inflated, and levels of oil and coolant are correct.
He said: 'With so many people planning to travel this Easter, it is crucial to ensure your vehicle is in top condition.'
After a period of settled and warmer weather, forecasters expected a return to unsettled conditions next weekend with some rain.
National Highways has deployed traffic management system Operation Brock in Kent ahead of the Easter getaway period.
The scheme involves narrow lanes and a reduced 50mph speed limit.
It is designed to manage traffic flows on the M20 motorway in the event of delays at Channel ports, which are seeing high demand from holidaymakers.
Operation Brock is in place on a 13-mile stretch of the motorway between Junction 8 for Maidstone and Junction 9 for Ashford.
Lorries heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel are being directed to follow signs to join a specific lane at Junction 8.
All other traffic for the coast crosses over to enter the contraflow on the London-bound carriageway.
Tourism authority VisitEngland said around 10.6 million British adults are planning to take a holiday in the UK over the bank holiday period.
That is expected to provide an estimated £3.9 billion boost to the economy.
A further 3.4 million people are undecided about whether to book an overnight domestic Easter trip, with the most common reasons being waiting to see what the weather will be and if they can afford it.
Patricia Yates, the chief executive of VisitEngland, said: 'Tourism businesses and destinations will be looking to the critical Easter weekend for much-needed cash flow after the lean winter months, so it's encouraging to see many of us are planning a holiday at home.
'The cost of living remains a concern, and while people are still keen to take a break, many are booking late, taking shorter breaks, and wanting to save on accommodation, activities and eating out, making it difficult for businesses to plan in advance.'
Thousands of Easter train journeys will be disrupted as Network Rail is carrying out engineering work.
The most significant impact will be at London Euston – the UK's 10th busiest railway station – which will have no services to or from destinations north of Milton Keynes on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday. A reduced timetable is in force on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Disruption is necessary because of work including renewals of overhead electric lines and drainage improvements.
Services on the West Coast Main Line will start and terminate at Carlisle, with replacement buses serving stations to the north.
Aviation analytics company Cirium said 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports between Good Friday and Easter Monday.
That is 6 per cent more than last year's Easter, but remains 4 per cent down from Easter 2019.
The most common international destinations for UK departures this Easter are Dublin, Amsterdam, Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca.
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