Christmas getaway: The roads to avoid as 31 million leisure trips expected

The rush to get home for Christmas will result in “bumper-to-bumper” traffic as an estimated 31 million leisure trips will be taken in the coming days.

Research by the RAC and traffic information supplier Inrix suggests the worst jams will be on the M1, M25, M5 and M6.

Congestion is predicted to peak on Thursday, as those embarking on an early Christmas getaway fight for road space with commuters.

Around 4.7 million leisure trips will take place on that day, according to a survey of 1,600 motorists.

Drivers are advised to delay journeys on major roads until after 8pm to avoid the worst of the traffic.

Three areas of the motorway identified as likely to have the longest delays on Thursday are:

• M25 clockwise J23 Hatfield to J28 Chelmsford – delays of 56 minutes
• M25 anticlockwise J17 Maple Cross to J12 for M3 – delays of 48 minutes
• M5 north J11 Cheltenham to J1 West Bromwich – delays of 33 minutes

Approximately 31.2 million leisure trips are expected between Tuesday and Christmas Eve – the highest since the RAC started the survey in 2013.

The breakdown firm is urging drivers to carry out basic checks before long journeys, such as tyres, oil and coolant.

The RAC’s Ben Aldous said: “Our figures suggest many more drivers are planning leisure trips by car in the run-up to Christmas this year, so bumper-to-bumper traffic on some motorways and major A-roads is near-guaranteed.

“While Christmas Day is still a little way off, it looks as though millions of drivers are planning to complete their getaway trips this week.

“Unfortunately, when you add in the prospect of unsettled weather, with heavy rain and strong winds in some parts, these are likely to be pretty unpleasant drives for many of us.”

Trevor Reed, a transportation analyst at Inrix, recommends motorists to keep “tuned in to the changing traffic conditions on local radio and via in-car apps”.

Highways England said 98% of England’s motorways and major A-roads will be clear of roadworks between Friday and 2 January.

Meanwhile, some train journeys will be affected over the festive period due to Network Rail carrying out 386 engineering projects.

A closure of rail lines means services in the South East will be the worst hit, with services to and from King’s Cross, Paddington and Liverpool Street facing the greatest disruption.

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said: “Our passengers expect and deserve a more reliable railway. That’s why this Christmas we are working on the railway across the country to improve services for our passengers.

“While significantly fewer people travel over Christmas, we know that some of our passengers will have important plans to visit friends and family, so please do check before you travel.”

(c) Sky News 2019: Christmas getaway: The roads to avoid as 31 million leisure trips expected