Don't travel on Bank Holiday until after 9pm to avoid traffic misery, motorists urged

Traffic queues on the M25 near Dartford in Kent as the bank holiday getaway begins.
Traffic on the Bank Holiday weekend is predicted to cause severe delays for motorists (PA)

Millions of Brits are expected to hit the roads over the Bank Holiday weekend - causing severe delays for millions.

Motoring groups have now urged people heading off for the long weekend to wait until 9pm on Friday before taking to the roads.

Tourism bosses are anticipating the number of Britons making the most of the August bank holiday by taking a domestic short break or holiday will be the highest on record.

Research by the RAC and traffic information supplier Inrix suggests 16.5 million leisure journeys will take place on UK roads between Friday and Monday.

Friday is expected to be the worst day for jams as five million drivers embarking on journeys for a holiday or day trip battle for road space with commuters.

Traffic queues along the M25 in Dartford, Kent, as the bank holiday and half term rush begins.
Friday is expected to be the worst day for jams as five million drivers embarking on journeys for a holiday (PA)

Roads are likely to be busiest between 11am and 6.30pm.

The longest delays are predicted to be on the M25 anti-clockwise from Junction 4 at Orpington/Bromley to Junction 1 at Swanscombe/Dartford at around 3.15pm, with journeys taking 55 minutes longer than normal.

A northbound stretch of the M6 from Junction 18 at Northwich/Chester to Junction 24 at St Helens is estimated to have 54-minute hold-ups at around 2pm.

Routes to coastal resorts and countryside beauty spots are also likely to be among the busiest.

RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous said: “For many people, this coming weekend is the last chance to enjoy a long weekend this side of Christmas.

“With the weather improving, that’s likely to mean a lot of cars on the road heading to popular tourist destinations.

“A lot of the breakdowns we expect to see this weekend are preventable, so it’s vital drivers check over their car before setting out.”

Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at Inrix, said: “Bank holidays have historically been one of the busiest times for road trips, and this year drivers could even see record-level travel delays.

“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

Highways England said it is keeping 97% of England’s motorways and major A-roads free from roadworks this weekend.

There will also be severe disruption on parts of the railway network this weekend as Network Rail carries out hundreds of engineering projects.

Rail passengers are being urged to avoid the East Coast Main Line this weekend, with train operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issuing a “do not travel” warning for the route between London and Scotland via York on Saturday and Sunday.

Disruption on the rail network over the August Bank Holiday weekend (PA)
Disruption on the rail network over the August Bank Holiday weekend (PA)
People enjoy the sunshine and hot weather on Bournemouth Beach in Dorset.
Brits are expected to head to the coast as temperatures soar over the weekend (PA)

This is due to King’s Cross being closed as part of a major project which will prevent any trains from running between London and Peterborough.

Track replacement work near Macclesfield and Milton Keynes will reduce the number of trains departing and arriving at London Euston via the West Coast Main Line.

Major upgrade work is taking place in Newark, Nottinghamshire, affecting East Midlands Railway’s Lincoln services to and from Leicester and Nottingham.

Network Rail is carrying out 448 engineering projects over the weekend.

The government-owned company said it carries out significant projects over bank holidays as “far fewer people” use the railway at those times compared with a normal working day.

A survey by tourism agency VisitEngland indicated that 8.6 million Britons are planning an overnight trip in the UK this weekend - the most since the research began in 2012.

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---