Region gears up for the great summer getaway

Planes, trains and automobiles - the great British summer getaway begins tomorrow.

The roads are expected to be packed with cars heading off to sunnier climbs after schools break up for the six weeks holiday.

Birmingham International Airport expects to handle 130,850 passengers over the next four days with popular destinations including Dubai, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Spain and the Canaries.

Meanwhile traffic may clog the M54 and M5 motorways as well as the A5 through the West Midlands as families head for British resorts in Wales and the south west.

Major diversions this weekend will be on the southbound stretch of the M6 between junction 11 at Cannock and junction seven at Great Barr as overhead gantries for variable speed limits are installed.

There will be an 18-mile detour from 10pm on Friday to 8am Saturday and again from 8pm Saturday to 10am Sunday.

At rail firm London Midland spokesman Richard Lakin anticipated more leisure trips and busy services to events such as Shrewsbury Flower Show in August.

Cadbury World, Bletchley Park, Wedgwood, Shrewsbury and Liverpool are likely to be popular destinations.

Steve Crosthwaite, head of the Highways Agency's National Traffic Control Centre, said longer, often unfamiliar journeys could, mean the stress factors can be greater.

"No-one wants a bad start to their summer holiday, so we're encouraging drivers to be prepared and help themselves to avoid delays where they can," he said

On July 30the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) will be at Strensham services - between junctions seven and eight of the M5 - stopping, examining and weighing caravans alongside specialists from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

Roadworks taking place this weekend

* M6 closed southbound between Junctions 11 (Cannock ) and 7 (Great Barr) from 10pm to 8am Friday-Saturday and 8pm to 10am Saturday-Sunday with 18 miles of diversions through Wolverhampton and Walsall. M5 slip road to the M6 southbound will be closed at the same times

* M6 exit slip roads at Junction 9, Wednesbury, closed between 9pm and 5.30am until August 1

* M5 closed between Junctions 4 and 3 due to roadworks; 11pm-6am Saturday to Sunday

* A5 between Harpenden and Cannock closed between the junctions with the A508 and the A43, 10pm-6 am from Monday until Saturday, July 31