Christmas traffic: Which day is the worst to travel this year - and busiest UK motorways to avoid
This year’s Christmas getaway is expected to be the busiest on record, new figures suggest.
The AA forecast that traffic for all journey purposes in the run-up to December 25 will peak on Friday when about 24.4 million cars are expected on the UK’s roads. A total of 37.5 million leisure trips by car are planned between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, the RAC estimated.
That is the most in the week before Christmas Day since the company began recording the data in 2013. Transport analytics company Inrix predicted there will be long delays on several major routes on Friday.
Many drivers leaving urban areas for their Christmas break will compete for road space with commuters. On Saturday and Christmas Eve, drivers are being warned the worst hold-ups will be between 11am and 7pm. Christmas Eve is anticipated to see a slight drop in journeys to 22.7 million, with an estimated 18.3 million cars on the road on Christmas Day.
The RAC forecast that December 24 will be the busiest day for leisure trips over the festive period, with 4.2 million of those journeys. The AA’s figures are based on a survey of more than 10,000 of its members, while the RAC’s estimates follow a nationally representative survey of 2,191 UK adults.
Adding to the challenge will be the closure of the M27 motorway in both directions between Junctions 9 and 11 from 8pm on Christmas Eve until 4am on January 4 for major works, affecting journeys between Southampton and Portsmouth.
Shaun Jones, AA expert patrol, said: “It’s beginning to look a lot like traffic. Our advice is simple: plan ahead, check your route and allow extra time. Patience will be your best present this year.”
Among the expected Christmas getaway traffic hotspots are:
- The M25 clockwise from Junction 15 to Junction 19, and from Junction 23 to Junction 28.
- The M4 eastbound from Junction 29.
- The M6 northbound from Junction 5 to Junction 10A, and from Junction 18 to Junction 24.
- The M1 northbound from Junction 22 to Junction 26.
- The M60 clockwise from Junction 7 to Junction 18.