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Get out NOW before Easter getaway carnage gets WORSE, Brits warned as traffic jams, cancelled trains & flight chaos hit
Work at more than 300 rail projects will take place this weekend, amid a strike at the UK's second busiest airport
MILLIONS of drivers have been warned to start their journeys NOW before Easter travel carnage really kicks off tomorrow - with roads rammed and trains cancelled.
Drivers who have set off on their travels have been faced with bumper-to bumper traffic.
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There are currently delays of over 90 minutes on the M25 in Kent anti-clockwise between Junction 4 Orpington and the A282 towards Dartford Crossing.
This is due to such high volumes of traffic, National Highways announced.
Instead, road users have been advised to follow the hollow square diversion symbols.
It comes as train stations are rammed too - with cancellations and dozens of delays at busy Liverpool Lime Street station in London
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Meanwhile, Brits hoping for a foreign getaway over the Bank Holiday are set to face disruption due to strike action, with up to 50 flights per day affected.
The RAC has warned traffic chaos will get significantly worse from 10AM tomorrow morning, with drivers told they must plan their routes.
Nearly 20 million travellers are expected to make leisure journeys this weekend, with much congestion expected on popular road routes such as the M6 at Birmingham.
With around 2.7million trips predicted for Friday and Saturday, motorists will need to act fast to avoid any highway chaos.
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The same number is expected to return on Monday ahead of most school terms beginning the next day.
A further 6.2million journeys are expected to take place over the Easter weekend as experts warn that British weather could have a major impact.
M1 closed after multi-car crash causing delays of more than an hour & queues for miles National Highways said it was now cleari
Lunchtime on Good Friday is expected to have the lengthiest hold-ups meaning those behind the wheel should plan to set off early in the morning.
Popular routes are likely to experience tailbacks including the A303 westbound to Stonehenge and the M5 southbound J15 at the RAC tower north of Bristol.
Journey times are likely to be nearly an hour longer for both meaning some could be stuck in their vehicles for more than half as long as usual.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: "We’re still expecting to see extremely high levels of traffic from Thursday onwards, with the greatest number of Easter getaway trips planned for three years.
"Drivers shouldn’t expect to escape the queues if they don’t plan the best time to set off.
"It’s always best to travel as early as possible in the morning or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased, especially if headed to popular holiday destinations such as the West Country, or Wales."
Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said they are preparing for around 5,500 cars on just Friday alone.
The M6 is expected to be packed around the Blackpool area, as is the M25 in its south and western sections, the M5 at Bristol, and the A303 in Wiltshire.
Heavy rain has also been forecast by the Met Office, which could pose further difficulties and disruption for those travelling.
The RAC has said the yellow weather warning, put in place for the south west of England, could lead to further delays for road users.
Rail travellers could also face difficulties with closure of a major line to London, while flights may also be cancelled as strike action hits Gatwick Airport.
Rail passengers have also been warned over disruption as Network Rail prepares to begin its Easter engineering work.
Works will be carried out on more than 300 projects across Britain between Good Friday and Monday, leading to a number of line closures.
Crucial route used by 50k a day is SHUT after lorry crash sparking 'severe' delays
London Euston will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday, while a reduced timetable will be in place on Good Friday and Monday.
It means passengers will be unable to access the UK's 10th busiest railway station for long-distance travel while renewals of overhead electric lines and improvements to drainage take place.
Liverpool Lime Street will also close on Easter Sunday due to railway upgrades taking place, making travel more difficult across the north-west.
Air travellers are not exempt from the chaos as Gatwick Airport is expected face "huge strike disruption," with up to 50 flights per day affected by the industrial action.
Holidaymakers could be left stranded as employees stand down from work in a protest over pensions and payment delays on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Those striking currently work for the ground handling service Red Handling and are members of one of the UK's biggest trade unions, Unite.
Baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers for airlines Norwegian, Delta, TAP and Air Peace will be stepping down causing huge disruptions at the airport.
Action begins on Good Friday and will continue until the early hours of Tuesday, April 22.
In light of the traffic warnings, research from the RAC has revealed the best times to set off if you wish to avoid the worst of the congestion this bank holiday weekend.
The data, collected in collaboration with traffic analytics specialists INRIX, suggests that severe congestion could hit a number of key roads across the UK.
It is set to be the busiest Easter for road users since 2022 when Brits had just come out of lockdown.
Research suggests that holiday seekers will face the worst traffic on Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the break.
Drivers are estimated to plan around 2.7 million trips on each of those days during this busy period.
Worst time to travel this bank holiday weekend as 19MILLION to hit roads on busiest Easter in 3 years – check your route
THE worst time to travel over the Easter bank holiday has been revealed - as a whopping 19 million drivers are expected to hit the roads.
It is set to be the busiest Easter for road users since 2022 when Brits had just come out of lockdown, according to the RAC.
Research suggests that holiday seekers will face severe traffic on Thursday, Friday and Sunday around this upcoming break.
Drivers are estimated to plan around 2.7 million trips every day during this busy period.
The RAC revealed the best and worst times to set off this Easter in order to avoid lengthy delays.
On Thursday April 17, the best time to set off would be before 12pm, while the worst time to leave would be between 2pm and 7pm.
On Good Friday, motorists have been told to leave home before 10am, and the heaviest traffic is expected between then and 5pm.
The best time to leave the following day, Saturday April 19, will be before 10:30am or after 2pm, while the worst time to travel is expected to be between 11am and 1pm.
In order to avoid the traffic, the RAC has recommended the best times to set off.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: "Drivers shouldn't expect to escape the queues if they don't plan the best time to set off.
"It's always best to travel as early as possible in the morning or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased."
She also revealed the worst routes to take as millions of travellers hit the road.
Alice added: "Although journey numbers are still very high, we're anticipating more day trips and weekend breaks than people heading off on one and two-week stints, reflected by INRIX's predictions that the worst delays will be along routes from Gatwick to the rest of the country.
"This could lead to a 'hat-trick of hold-ups' on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as drivers visit family and friends."
Delays of more than an hour are predicted for the 35-mile clockwise stretch of the M25 between J7 for Gatwick Airport and J16 for the M40 at around 11.45am today.
After the large influx of travellers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the number of daily trips is expected to drop slightly on Easter Sunday to 2.5 million.
However, by Bank Holiday Monday, the number is set to jump back up to 2.7 million as countless holidaygoers are set to return home.
The Bank Holiday Monday will come just before many schools open up again to signal the new term.
On top of that, a further 6.2 million journeys are expected over the bank holiday weekend - but drivers for these trips are unsure when they will travel.
They are likely to be bearing the unpredictable weather in mind before they lock down a schedule.
The RAC has also specified the best specific times to avoid traffic, saying leaving before 12pm on Thursday would give you the best chance to avoid congestion.
On the flip side, the worst time would be between 2pm and 7pm.
For Good Friday, the best time would be before 10am, while the worst would be between then and 5pm.
The best time to leave the following day, Saturday, April 19, will be before 10:30am or after 2pm, while the worst time to travel is expected to be between 11am and 1pm.
This comes after it was announced that more than one thousand miles of roadworks would be lifted ahead of the Easter getaway.
Workers will down tools across 1,127 miles of repairs nationwide to get the country moving across the four-day break.
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Around 97 per cent of major roads across England will be completely free from roadworks helping to speed up journeys.
Significant routes being lifted or completed by big getaway include 130 miles on the M25, 100 miles on the M1 between London and Chesterfield and 31 miles between Great Yarmouth and Peterborough.
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