If you’re heading out this Easter weekend, good news: National Highways is hitting pause on over 1,100 miles of roadworks to help ease traffic on the UK’s busiest roads.
With nearly 20 million journeys expected, Good Friday is set to be the busiest travel day since 2022. So yeah, expect some queues – but not as many as there could have been.
It’s not just motorway works getting pulled back either – streetworks from utility companies are being cracked down on too. Fines for overrunning into the weekend could hit £10,000 a day, and at least half of that cash will go towards fixing potholes (finally).
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We are tackling the real problems that drivers face by lifting 1,127 miles of roadworks over Easter and cracking down on disruptive streetworks to make journeys to see loved ones as smooth as possible.”
What does this actually mean for you? Around 97.5% of major roads should be free of cones. Key cleared routes include:
- 130+ miles on the M25 around London
- Over 100 miles on the M1 between London and Chesterfield
- 70+ miles of the A27 in the South East
Roadworks will be lifted from 6am Thursday and won’t return until after Easter Monday.
Also, National Highways is bringing back its ‘TRIP’ campaign – a quick reminder to Top-up, Rest, Inspect, Prepare before you hit the road. Basically, don’t break down halfway through your road trip because you forgot to check your tyres.
Got an Easter getaway planned? Drop your road trip route in the comments – we’d love to hear where you’re heading.
