National Highways says it will be working round the clock to remove more than 900 miles of roadworks ahead of the Christmas getaway.
This means nearly 98 per cent of motorways and major A roads will be roadworks-free in time for those travelling to see loved ones or making other journeys for Christmas.
National Highways travel-time data from the past couple of Christmases suggests next Thursday, 23 December – the day before Christmas Eve – is likely to be one of the busier travel days on England’s major A-road and motorway network in the run up to the festive period.
But it adds that, as many people take advantage of the holidays to visit friends and family, drivers will be “happy to hear traffic levels are not expected to be any higher than usual”.
It says that to help keep festive disruption to a minimum, the vast majority of roadworks will be removed from England’s motorway and major A-road network from 6am Tuesday 21 December until 12.01am on Tuesday 4 January.
To make sure Christmas journeys go as planned, National Highways is encouraging drivers to check traffic conditions before they set off and to make sure their vehicle is ready for the journey ahead.
We don’t want roadworks to spoil Christmas so we’re doing everything we can to make journeys as smooth as possible; that’s why we’re keeping almost 98% of the road network we manage free from roadworks,” said National Highways Customer Service Director, Melanie Clarke. “Our dedicated control room teams and traffic officer patrols are geared up to help those travelling over the Christmas period and we’re expecting Thursday 23 December to be one of the busier days in the lead up to the festive period.
“We know from experience that peak travel times can vary in the run up to Christmas, and so we’re encouraging drivers to check traffic conditions before heading out to help keep traffic flowing. And we’re also asking motorists to be prepared before setting off. Almost half of breakdowns can be easily avoided if motorists carry out simple vehicle checks before their journeys.”
(Picture – Yay Images)
