Saturday, August 24, 2024
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Motorists across the UK are being warned of “severe delays” as millions prepare for summer getaways during what is expected to be the busiest travel weekend of the year. Experts are predicting a “weekend of woe” as traffic builds, with the motoring group RAC forecasting the second busiest summer weekend since 2015.
On Saturday alone, an estimated 3.6 million car journeys are expected, followed by 2.9 million trips on Sunday as the bank holiday weekend kicks off. The RAC noted that this weekend’s travel volume is second only to 2022 when many took to the roads following two years of COVID-19 lockdowns.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson commented, “With the end of the school holidays approaching, day trips are likely to be the main cause of traffic this weekend, leading to potential ‘day trip delays’ for many drivers.”
Adding to the chaos, the M5 motorway is anticipated to be one of the worst-hit roads, particularly southbound between Junctions 15 and 23, and northbound between Junctions 25 and 15 on Monday, as travelers return home. Earlier in the day, tailbacks stretched over 30 miles between Bristol and Taunton, Somerset, due to a heavy volume of traffic.
A spokesperson from National Highways explained that the “severe delays” of over an hour were primarily due to the sheer number of vehicles on the road.
The Port of Dover is also gearing up for its busiest weekend, expecting 11,000 tourist cars on Saturday. While the port reported a “free-flowing” operation on Saturday morning, with only a five-minute wait at border control, travel association Abta estimates that over two million Britons will head overseas this weekend, from Friday to Sunday.
Airports are also anticipating heavy traffic. London Luton Airport expects 220,000 passengers between Friday and Monday, with a total of 2.5 million travelers anticipated over the entire school summer holiday period. Clare Armstrong, head of guest experience at London Luton Airport, highlighted Paris as the top city break destination, noting a 25% increase in travelers to the French capital, likely spurred by the upcoming Olympic Games. Other popular destinations include Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, and Lisbon.
Heathrow Airport is preparing for its “busiest ever summer,” with expectations to serve 250,000 passengers per day at its peak.
Storm Lilian, which swept through the country on Friday, has exacerbated the delays. Fallen trees have blocked several rail lines across Wales, western England, the West Midlands, and northwest England, including critical sections of the West Coast main line between Stafford and Crewe, and between Macclesfield and Stockport. Numerous trains between Manchester city center and the airport have been canceled or delayed, and a fallen tree has also blocked the intercity route between Birmingham and Bristol.
In London, commuters are facing long delays due to a broken-down train on the Thameslink north-south line through the city center. Over the weekend, three major intercity lines to and from London will be disrupted by closures and diversions due to ongoing Network Rail projects. Engineers will be working on both the East and West Coast main lines, as well as the Great Western route through the Severn Tunnel.
Tags: bristol, Europe, europe tourism news, france, london, London Tourism News, Paris, Somerset, Southeast England, Tourism, Tourism news, Travel, Travel News, UK, UK Tourism news, UK Travel
