Easter traffic warning with busiest roads identified

The RAC is warning fleets and their drivers to expect delays of more than an hour around London and routes to and from the West Country over the Easter weekend.  

Analysis by the RAC and traffic analytics specialists Inrix suggests that this year’s Easter bank holiday weekend could be the busiest since 2022 – the first full getaway after Covid lockdowns – with more than 19 million leisure journeys planned.

Research suggests traffic will be equally severe on Thursday (April 18), Good Friday (April 19) and Saturday (April 20), with drivers planning around 2.7m trips every day during that period. 

The number of trips planned drops slightly on Easter Sunday to 2.5m, before increasing again to a further 2.7m on bank holiday Monday as millions of people return home – ahead of most school terms beginning the next day. 

A further 6.2m journeys are anticipated at some point over the Easter bank holiday weekend, but drivers planning these trips are still unsure exactly when they will travel.

Inrix expects Thursday to be the worst day for traffic when jams are likely to increase by nearly a third (30%) more than usual. 

On this day, Inrix is predicting delays of more than an hour on the 35-mile clockwise stretch of the M25 between J7 for Gatwick Airport and J16 for the M40 to the West Midlands, around 11.45am. 

The M6 north of Chester and M25 clockwise towards Godstone in Surrey could also see long delays in the evening.

Meanwhile, on Good Friday, the lengthiest hold-ups are expected between 11am to 1pm, meaning drivers are advised to start their trips as early as possible in the morning or delay them until later in the afternoon. 

Two popular routes to the West Country – the A303 westbound to Stonehenge and the M5 southbound between J15 at the RAC tower north of Bristol and J23 for Bridgwater – could be affected by some of the longest jams, with journey times extending to 43 minutes and one hour 20 minutes respectively – more than half as long as usual. 

For those returning from the West Country on Easter Monday (April 21), delays of nearly an hour (58 minutes) are expected around 2:30pm on the M5 northbound between J25 for Taunton and J16 at the RAC tower. 

Elsewhere, the M25 anticlockwise between J4 from Bromley and the Dartford Crossing will be hit with queues at lunchtime, with journeys taking over half an hour longer than normal. 

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “The late bank holiday weekend clashes with the end of the Easter break for many schools – which we think will change the nature of this year’s getaway. 

“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.” 

However, she added: “While getaway journeys may be shorter in length, 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, Scotland or Wales.”

National Highways’ traffic contraflow system, ‘Operation Brock’, will still be in place throughout the Easter weekend until April 22, with lorries travelling to the Port of Dover being directed to a specific lane at Junction 8 of the M20. 

Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said "Thanks to the hard work of our operational team, our French and UK partners, and the travelling public, we’ve seen strong passenger numbers move smoothly through the port this Easter break.

“Looking ahead to the bank holiday weekend, we’re forecasting a busy day on Thursday when we expect around 5,000 cars, and Friday 18th with around 5,500 cars heading on their holidays from early morning until lunchtime.”