DRIVERS have been warned to prepare for the busiest bank holiday in ten years with nearly 20 million motorists expected to embark on summer staycations.
The RAC has warned road users to brace for the surge in traffic during the August bank holiday weekend.
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The breakdown and car insurance firm has estimated that 19.2 million car trips will take place between Monday and Friday.
Saturday is expected to be the busiest with a survey revealing 3.7 million journeys have already been planned.
The responses of 2,128 Adults living in the UK have predicted the summer bank holiday to be the busiest since the motoring company started recording date back in 2015.
Long queues are almost guaranteed at Dover with railway engineering works taking place, those hoping to benefit from the last slither of UK sunshine should be braced for delays.
According to the poll 84 percent of those driving for leisure across the weekend are planning a day trip.
Of those questioned, one in ten revealed that they will set off for a holiday whilst six percent plan on returning home.
The findings have revealed that Saturday should be the busiest.
However, the rest of the weekend is expected to see delays with a further 3.2 million estimated for Friday and 3.1 million on Sunday.
An incredible 6.2 million leisure trips have been planned for the four days spanning the Bank Holiday.
Leeds Festival is expected to worsen the congestion with the event starting mid-week and ending on Sunday.
The event had been described as having the second biggest impact on UK traffic with long queues likely to be found on the A1, A1(M), M1, M62 and A64 from Thursday.
With many planning Europe trips via the South, roads in Kent will likely face heavy traffic also.
Dover is expected to have 20,000 cars travel through its port over this period.
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson told the Mail Online: “With the end of the school holidays fast approaching, it seems day trips will be the main cause of traffic this weekend.
“It is likely to be the busiest August bank holiday on the roads for nine years, so it’s important everyone ensures their vehicle is in good condition to avoid facing an unwanted breakdown.
“Whether you’re off to a festival, the coast or a theme park, or meeting up with friends and family elsewhere, the usual trusted advice applies: leave as early as you can to avoid the jams or be prepared to sit in some lengthy queues.”
Whilst National Highways national network manager Dale Hipkiss said: “We’re lifting more than 500 miles of roadworks to keep people moving this August bank holiday, and almost 97% of the network will be free from roadworks over the long weekend.
“We anticipate the roads will be busier than usual and are reminding people to check before they travel and leave plenty of extra time.”
Those attempting to find alternative travel routes should also watch out for the disrupted Network Rail lines with several major routes expected to face engineering works.
Those planning return trips from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival should also keep a close eye on trains travelling to London with no long-distance services running on the East Coast Main Line from Saturday evening to Monday morning.
Trains from Euston to Milton Keynes have a reduced timetable for the weekend as Primrose Hill receives track renewals.
Bus replacement services are expected to remain in service as planned.
