Drivers face long delays on ‘frantic Friday’ getaway

MOTORISTS face severe congestion on some routes this weekend as the summer getaway begins on ‘frantic Friday’, a motoring firm has warned.

More than nine million people are expected to take to the roads on leisure trips between Friday and Sunday as school holidays begin in England and Wales, the RAC said.

Getaway traffic will peak on Friday as 3.8 million motorists who are making day trips or driving to holiday destinations battle for road space with regular commuters.

Transport data firm Inrix warned that some routes, particularly those popular with holidaymakers, will experience lengthy delays compared with a normal Friday.

Those heading south on the M5 between Gloucester and Devon should expect holdups of about an hour and a quarter, while westbound journeys on the A303 between the M3 in Hampshire and A37 in Somerset could take an extra hour. A single breakdown or collision could easily extend delays.

The Met Office anticipates that temperatures will climb towards the weekend, reaching 30C (86F) in some locations, which could see a rise in the number of people taking spontaneous domestic breaks.

RAC traffic spokesman, Rod Dennis said: “This weekend tends to be one of the busiest on the roads for leisure journeys, after Easter and Christmas.

‘On some popular routes this may well mean gridlock, especially in the second half of Friday. As a result, it will almost certainly feel like a frantic Friday for some.’

An estimated 34 million leisure journeys by car will take place over the next fortnight. Some schools will break up this week while others finish next week.

Drivers are advised to leave early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the busier middle of the day.

Inrix data scientist Joshua Kidd, said: ‘The shortest routes to popular holiday destinations may not be the quickest.

‘Drivers should ensure they check live traffic reports before setting off and consider alternative routes.’

To add to the increased volume of cars, roadworks are set to test the patience of drivers yet further.

The Highways Agency website lists 414 warnings of roadworks that will cause a delay of more than 30 minutes over the weekend. Many are for the same road but have warnings at different times in the day and lane closures spread across the country are likely to cause huge tailbacks.

Ten weeks of diversions driving thousands of cars to an already-congested A50 roundabout in Uttoxeter, Derbsyhire, started this week. And a £3million development of one of South Devon’s busiest holiday and commuter routes – the A3022 Brixham Road at Paignton – will bring chaos.

Several longer stretches of roadworks are being confined to overnight work, such as on the M62 in Manchester.