Six million face Bank Holiday travel chaos

 

Last updated at 17:40pm on 22nd August 2007 Comments (1)

Traffic jams and other travel delays are likely for those braving a get-away this Bank Holiday weekend

 

 

 

 

More than six million people are expected to face road, rail and air delays this weekend during the annual August Bank Holiday exodus that begins on Thursday.

 

 

Almost 14 million Britons are expected to join the rush to get away but almost half of them anticipate lengthy hold-ups.

The prediction comes as the Highways Agency warns of congestion caused by cones at 39 sets of roadworks and traffic information service Trafficmaster names the worst hotspots to avoid.

Warmer, sunnier weather is also expected to add to the travel gloom as more people are tempted to make the most of this summer's last long weekend.

Trafficmaster says traffic will begin to build up on Thursday around the main airports affecting the M25 and M4 at Heathrow, the M23 at Gatwick, the M11 at Stansted, the M1 at Luton, the M42 and A45 at Birmingham and the M56 at Manchester. This will peak on Friday and Saturday.

It will also be busier from noon on Friday onwards at regular bottlenecks including M6 southbound into and through the West Midlands, the M25 western and northern sections and the M1 north of London between Junctions 6a and 11.

This will get worse after 3pm as commuters going home early get caught up in leisure traffic on the main holiday routes.

This is expected to affect the M1 northbound from Junction 21 up to Junction 34, the M5 from Bristol into the West Country, the M6 from the West Midlands northwards through Staffordshire, Cheshire and Lancashire towards the Lake District, the M55 to Blackpool and M4 westbound from London.

From 5pm, it is likely that much of the M25 will be bumper to bumper in both directions with a similar gridlock on the M60 around Manchester.

Traffic will also be heavier than normal on the M3 and M27 around Southampton, the A55 into North Wales and A303 towards the South West.

Most of the routes are expected to remain busy on Saturday but there is unlikely to be a significant rush home on Monday as many people will not be returning until next weekend.

But Bank Holiday outdoor events and sporting attractions will lead to heavier than normal traffic in areas away from motorways and where congestion does not usually occur.

"This is the last chance for many to enjoy the summer weather but you can avoid much of the congestion and save time by being smart about when you travel," said Trafficmaster spokesman Philip Hale.

"Plan to avoid the peak periods and brush up on an alternative route in advance, should you find a jam along the way." Motor insurer esure said its research suggests that 13.8 million will join the exodus but 6.2 million expect delays.

Four million will take to the road despite anticipated delays averaging an hour and a half. A further one million planning train journeys believe they face delays of around an hour and fifty minutes and more than 1.2 million think their flights will be two hours and twenty-five minutes late taking off.

But 500,000 experienced such nightmare journeys during last May's Whitsun Bank Holiday that they are opting to stay at home instead.

Almost a fifth - 17 per cent - will only venture out if the weather improves as predicted but eight per cent have no other choice but to travel despite the mayhem.

"Bank Holiday weekends are often plagued with travel delays, traffic jams and airline cancellations and it's likely that this last one of the year will follow suit - especially if the sun manages to come out," said Mike Pickard, esure's head of risk and underwriting.

The Highways Agency said it is removing cones at 29 sets of roadworks between 6am tomorrow (fri) and midnight on Monday to ease traffic flow and make journeys "more reliable."

But it says 39 will remain in place "for safety reasons" and admits congestion is inevitable - particularly Friday afternoon on holiday routes.

It says it has taken measures to minimise disruption but the M1 between Junctions 31 and 32 near Rotherham will be worst affected by "moderate to severe" delays due to narrow lanes on both carriageways and a 50mph speed limit during a major widening project.

Elsewhere, delays are expected to be slight to moderate. Drivers are advised to avoid peak times if possible and check the Agency's website along with radio traffic bulletins for the latest information on road conditions.

"Removing roadworks for the Bank Holiday is just one of the ways that the Highways Agency helps drivers to make more reliable journeys over the holiday weekend," said Derek Turner, the Agency's director of traffic operations.

"We also provide information for drivers about traffic conditions on the motorways and major A roads from our website, telephone information service and our new traffic radio service.

"We are also asking drivers to help themselves to a safer journey by carrying out checks on their vehicles and making sure they are topped up with fuel."

Drivers and passengers are also advised to take plenty of water and refreshments with them on their journey in case it takes longer than planned.

Yay :)

i do like going in the opposite direction to everyone else :smug:

i do like going in the opposite direction to everyone else :smug:

 

Yes - lemming-watching can be great fun, can't it?:P

British Bank Holiday getaway descends into chaos with motorway shooting

 

By OLINKA KOSTER - More by this author » Last updated at 17:07pm on 24th August 2007 Comments (3)

The Bank Holiday getaway descended into chaos for thousands of travellers today after a gunman fired shots at a police car on a major motorway route.

 

Motorists were stuck in tailbacks on the M5 for most of the day, with further misery caused by an overturned lorry on the popular stretch to Devon and Cornwall.

Ten mile queues built up on several adjoining roads as frustrated holidaymakers attempted to find alternative routes.

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Traffic queues southbound on the M5 motorway as people head to the west country early for the bank holiday weekend

 

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• Get your five-day forecast here

Despite an estimated 18 million vehicles taking to the road this weekend, motorists in other parts of the country also found themselves plagued by roadworks.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "This is one of the busiest weekends of the year, if not the busiest, so it was hardly ideal to have these closures on the M5 on the last Bank Holiday of the summer."

The chaos began at 4.10am when police stopped to check a blue 3-series BMW parked in a layby outside a garden centre near junction 12 of the M5.

But the L-reg car, which was carrying at least two people, sped away suddenly and two shots were fired from it in the direction of the police car.

Neither of the shots hit the car but the motorway was shut in both directions for several hours so forensic officers could examine the scene for clues, such as bullet casings. The BMW made a successful getaway.

 

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Holidaymakers enjoy the start of the bank holiday weekend weather at Woolacombe in Devon

 

 

The northbound carriageway was reopened yesterday morning but the southbound carriageway - used by those heading to the South West - remained closed until the early afternoon. One of the thousands of drivers stuck in the confusion was Louise Armstrong, 31, who was on her way to work in Bristol when she found herself at a standstill just after 6.30am.

"Everyone was looking confused and then when it came on the radio we all started looking at each other and nodding," she said.

"We'd just heard about the shooting in Liverpool and when this come on air it was like 'Oh my God, what's happened now?' - it's quite worrying.

 

"People were getting out of their cars for a chat and cigarette and some were walking their dogs along the hard shoulder because the motorway was at a standstill.

"Police and motorbikes are going past on the hard shoulder but apart from that no-one was going anywhere - not a good start to the Bank Holiday weekend."

Night security guard Dave Smithson, 37, from Dursley, Gloucestershire, set off to drive down the M5 after finishing work in Cheltenham, only to come to a halt after a few hundred yards.

"I was stationary for two hours before the traffic finally began to move," he said. "Even after almost four hours we were only moving slowly.

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Music fans trudged through the mud at the Reading Festival yesterday but the promised sunshine will keep the campers happy

 

"There was a bunch of lads in a white van off down to Cornwall for a surfing weekend and they made the best of it - they were out having egg and spoon races on the hard shoulder."

Despite the frustration, there remained some good news for those trying to get away - the weather.

Temperatures promise to be as high as 26C (79f) over the weekend with warm and sunny conditions replacing the rain and wind to have hit some parts of Britain in recent days.

"It's going to be a lot better than it has been, particularly for those in southern England," said Matt Bell of weather forecaster MeteoGroup.

"Although it will get cooler over the weekend, it should stay fine in England and Wales right through to Monday."

The organisation VisitBritain said 19 per cent of people in Britain had planned an overnight trip within the country in the last two weeks of August.

Spokesman Mike Bedingfield said: "It's great news that nearly one in five of us are planning to take a break here in our own country. It will give a much-needed boost to parts of the tourism industry after a challenging start to the summer."

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What a difference a week makes: The scene at Dawlish in Devon has improved massively since last week when the strong winds brought waves crashing over the railway

 

Routes affected by roadworks over the weekend include the M1 between junctions 6a and 10 near Luton, Bedfordshire, and the M4 at junction 12 near Reading.

Speaking about the M5 shooting, a spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said: "A lot of inquiries are being carried out to trace that vehicle and we would appeal to anyone who knows who is responsible and where they and the vehicle are now, to get in touch with us."

 

As well as the shooting, M5 was hit by three accidents yesterday.

At 9.30am, a lorry overturned at junction 25 near Taunton, Somerset, while a car travelling in the opposite direction crashed just 300ft away. The stretch was reopened at 1.30pm.

And at 1.20pm, a driver lost control of his vehicle at junction 17 near Bristol, careering through the central reservation. The clean-up operation closed two lanes southbound and one heading north.

Speaking about the earlier shooting, a spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said: "This was a despicable act which affected the weekend for hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers and families.

"Obviously, it could have been much more serious but this is a reflection of the times that firearms are becoming more prevalent in society.

"The use of guns is becoming sadly more commonplace.

"It wasn't just the officers involved who were affected but all those people trying to get away for the last bank holiday of the summer, as well as ordinary commuters and businesses. This is the biggest day of the year for the M5."

That looks like fun.

i actually considered going to london but i decided not to go. probably a good idea when i look at those pictures.

i actually considered going to london but i decided not to go. probably a good idea when i look at those pictures.

 

I think you'll find everyone's left London, so it's probably a pretty good place to head for this weekend.:rolleyes:

it would still takes ages to get there from liverpool. plus its notting hill carnival so i doubt nobody's going there.

it would still takes ages to get there from liverpool. plus its notting hill carnival so i doubt nobody's going there.

 

That's only in one relatively small area of London.;)

Doesn't the Mail count at least 15 miles of standing traffic on the A303 when it goes down from 2 lanes into 1 as a route to avoid?