M5 roadworks spell Bank Holiday misery for motorists
Motorists are being warned to expect severe delays this bank holiday weekend – with a stretch of motorway in the Black Country predicted to be one of the worst.
More than 14 million cars will take to UK roads for leisure trips during the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Some journeys will take almost four times longer than normal as people embark on getaways to make the most of the last long weekend this year.
The RAC said its research suggests 11.2 million people have planned a car journey for a day trip or extended break between Thursday and Bank Holiday Monday, while a further 3.2 million intend to drive during the period but are undecided on which day.
Highways England is lifting or completing more than 300 miles of roadworks from motorways and major A-roads from Friday morning.
The busiest times on the road for getaway trips are expected to be on Friday and Saturday, with 3.6 million cars on both days.
Traffic information supplier Inrix predicts that the most delayed route will be the M5 from Junction 4, at Lydiate Ash for north Bromsgrove, through the Dudley borough area to Junction 1, for West Bromwich, between 1pm and 6pm on Friday.
The stretch has been hit by delays due to the major Oldbury Viaduct repair work.
It emerged recently that the project has been delayed by six months.
Waterproofing and repairs have been ongoing since April 2017 and it been scheduled to finish by the autumn.
However, due to the prolonged spell of hot weather, the plans have been pushed back to 2019.
Highways England said they wanted to finish the project as early as possible, but could not give a definitive time.
Meanwhile this weekend the M1 is predicted to be badly affected from Junction 22 to Junction 25 in the East Midlands, with journey times increasing from a typical 16 minutes to 62 minutes.
RAC traffic spokesman Rod Dennis said the August Bank Holiday has “huge potential to bring gridlock to major roads”.
He warned that the Almondsbury interchange in Bristol, where the M5 meets the M4, is “the perfect recipe for a long wait on the motorway”.
Inrix data scientist Josh Kidd advised motorists to set off as early or as late in the day as possible to avoid the worst of the traffic, except on Friday when they should aim to travel between 10am and 1pm to avoid clashing with commuters.
Meanwhile drivers are also expected to be hit fuel prices that are at a four-year high.
The estimated 14 million cars taking to UK roads for leisure trips this weekend will cost an average of £1.29 per litre of unleaded and £1.33 per litre of diesel, Government figures show.
Monday is a public holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland.
