Delays are increasing on the M5 and M4 as Easter Monday picks up.
Millions of cars are expected to hit the roads of the United Kingdom this afternoon, interrupting Easter weekend. Vacationers were warned to expect delays and were urged to plan ahead with the M5, the main arterial road route to and from Westcountry, which is expected to slow congestion more (Monday, April 18).
Already this afternoon there is a stoppage of traffic on most of the M5, with delays of 55 minutes.
READ MORE: M6 M25 and A303 traffic warnings as the busiest Easter roads expected for years
An accident near junction 29 of Exeter caused delays while a stop-start of holiday traffic was reported in Somerset. An accident involving the caravan also closed the lane on the M4 Prince of Wales’ westbound bridge, but it is now open again.
Daily Mail reports say AA expects 14 million cars to hit the roads this afternoon, with an estimated 47 million trips between Good Friday and Easter Monday.
The busiest day on the roads during the public holidays was expected to be Good Friday, but there will probably be delays on the main routes again, as many passengers are expected to return after a warm weekend in many parts of the country.
The traffic information provider Inrix highlighted several possible congestion hotspots. These include: M6 north between junction 26 (Orrell Interchange, Greater Manchester) and Junction 36 (The Lake District); M25 clockwise from junction 8 (Reigate Hill Interchange, Surrey) to Junction 16 (Denham Interchange, Buckinghamshire; and A303 near Stonehenge, Wiltshire).
Drivers who want to avoid the biggest possible traffic jams are urged to leave before 9 am or postpone their trip until 7.30 pm. RAC spokesman for traffic Rod Dennis said: “After two years of relatively quiet Easter holidays on the roads, our study suggests a return to traffic levels that are much more typical for this time of year.
We will provide you with the latest traffic and travel update for the M5 and other major roads.
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