DRIVERS have been warned roads could go into “meltdown” TODAY as a perfect storm of families heading off on holidays, rail strikes and sporting events will spark long tail backs.
Congestion is set to stir up travel chaos across the country but drivers should beware of these worst affected roads, the AA has warned.
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Motorists will face journey delays up and down the UK starting today and lasting until tomorrow, as the AA issued an “amber alert” for the traffic.
Cars will build up between 11am and 3pm on both days as holidaymakers and sports fans hit Britain’s motorways.
This weekend marks the start of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Engish Football League season, with school holidays also now underway.
Train strikes at eight rail companies today will also pile pressure onto car journeys as the ongoing pay dispute continues.
The worst of the traffic jams are expected as sunseekers flock to the South East for the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone.
Last weekend, tens of thousands of Brits witnessed travel hell as cars queued for up to 30 hours in order to cross the Channel for a European getaway.
Families took up to six hours to move just 75 metres as delays sparked miles of summer holiday gridlock.
A shortage of French border officers and a serious crash on the M20 were blamed, but the ports hope changes to their traffic and passport control systems will avoid a repeat of last weekend’s disaster.
Yesterday holidaymakers faced two hour queues at Dover, so the ferry operator DFDS has urged passengers to “allow 120 minutes to complete the check-in process and border controls”.
For those journeying inside the UK, drivers should beware of the following roads.
If heading towards Devon and Cornwall, beware of jams along the M5, A303 and A30.
Likewise, the south west and western sections of the M25 could see delays, as well as the Bristol M4/M5 junction.
Keep your eyes peeled for traffic building up on the M6, M42, M1 and M62 this weekend too.
Amid the summer holiday stress this month, motor experts advised drivers of their top tips to merge properly onto a motorway and avoid creating longer traffic jams.
The AA also warned Brits of the importance of carrying out a pre-travel checks on their car to avoid unnecessary breakdowns which could slow or even halt other road users.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “We really hope it doesn’t happen, but our road network runs on a knife-edge and it doesn’t take much for it to go into meltdown.”
He explained: “With holiday let switchover day starting on Friday mixed with train strikes and a huge weekend of sport, we are concerned that drivers will experience delays across the network with the South of England particularly vulnerable.
“All eyes will be on Dover and Folkestone, but we believe changes have been made throughout the week and we will keep our fingers crossed for a smoother trip across The Channel.
“Breakdowns can make jams worse and last weekend we saw a rise in breakdowns where vehicle checks had not been carried out before setting off.
“Spending 10 minutes checking tyres and fluid levels before setting off can make a big difference in helping people getting to their destination.
“As well as preparing your car, those using the car for long journeys should prepare for jams, carry plenty of food and water as well as entertainment for younger travellers.
“Downloading the AA App will keep you up to date with the latest traffic news and can be used to report a breakdown should the worst happen.”
National Highways, which manages England’s motorways and major A roads, added: “Drivers travelling in and around Kent are advised to plan ahead as this weekend is likely to be extremely busy.
“Operation Brock contraflow remains in place on the M20 and is part of a series of measures to improve Kent’s resilience and ensure the smooth flow of traffic through the region in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel.”
As well as the roads, airports have been slammed with holiday hell as delays hit UK terminals this summer.
Staff shortages, strikes and cancellations have all played their part in the nightmare, as airports have introduced caps on passenger numbers on airlines and airlines have reduced services.
Heathrow has even warned Brits to expect more flight caps – and that the travel problems could continue into 2024.
Travel experts from Wizz Air have revealed their top five tips for avoiding the airport chaos this summer.
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