Worst Christmas traffic hotspots revealed as 20 million journeys expected this week

Sophie Williams17 December 2018

The M40, M6 and M25 are among the worst hotspots for Christmas getaway traffic jams, according to the RAC.

Delays of up to three hours are expected on one section of the northbound M6 on Thursday.

While on Friday, part of the M40 southbound could see drivers queueing for more than 90 minutes.

An estimated 20 million journeys are expected to be made this week as people head home for Christmas.

According to research by the RAC and traffic information firm Inrix, getaway traffic will reach a peak towards the weekend, with Thursday and Friday expected to be the worst days for congestion.

Heavy traffic is expected on Thursday as people start heading home for Christmas
Getty Images

Around 2.5 million and 2.8 million vehicles respectively are expected to take to the roads on those days.

Drivers are being advised to use alternative routes or wait until 8pm before setting off to avoid the worst queues.

Most congested roads during Christmas getaway

M6 North J15 (Stoke-on-Trent) to J25 (Wigan)

M25 Anticlockwise J20 (Hemel Hempstead) to J11 (Woking)

M40 South (M42) to J8A (Aylesbury)

M40 North J8A (Aylesbury) to M42

M62 West J27 (Batley) to J18 (Manchester ring road)

M5 South J16 (Thornbury) to J19 (Portishead)    

M3 South J6 (Basingstoke) to J13 (Bournemouth)

A303 West Salisbury Road to A350

Inrix data scientist Joshua Kidd said: "Our data shows that compared to a normal day, Thursday 20th December will see the biggest increase in cars on the road.

"With most drivers setting out mid-morning, traffic will become heavier over the course of the afternoon and stay congested into the evening.

"But it's not just those off to see family and friends - commuters, last-ditch shoppers and online deliveries will contribute to clogging the roads.

"Drivers are advised to seek out alternative routes to their destinations and use the latest technology for real-time updates."

Highways England will lift more than 200 miles of roadworks on the country's motorways and major A-roads by 6am on Friday to ensure more than 97% of the network is open for the festive getaway.

RAC patrol of the year Mark Souster urged motorists to carry out basic maintenance checks on their cars - such as oil, coolant and screenwash levels and tyre condition - before setting off.

He said: "It's vitally important every driver planning a trip gives their car a once-over to make sure it's up to the job.

"A single breakdown can bring some roads to a grinding halt, slowing down the Christmas getaway for all of us."

The anticipated jams will be compounded by extensive disruption to the rail network, with planned engineering work and strikes forcing more people on to the roads over the festive period.

Strikes are likely to affect routes run by Northern Rail and South Western Railway, while Network Rail is planning extensive engineering work on lines running into major stations such as London Paddington and London Victoria.

Additional reporting by PA.

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