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Bank holiday travel trouble as more than 20 million cars hit the road with thunderstorms possible

Rail travel has also been affected after an attempted theft of signalling cables near Birmingham.

Friday 24 May 2024 21:51, UK

Travel trouble is expected this bank holiday with more than 20 million leisure trips by car due to be made until Monday, according to the RAC.

The worst travel day was likely to be Friday, as the long weekend coincides with the half-term break for many schools.

Transport analytics company Inrix warned journeys on the M25 clockwise between Junction 7 for the M23 and Junction 21 for the M1 were expected to be delayed by more than 90 minutes in the late afternoon on Friday.

Predicted delays of an hour were also likely on a 45-mile southbound stretch of the M5 - a popular holiday route - from Junction 16 north of Bristol to Junction 25 for Taunton, Somerset.

Bank holiday getaway journeys on a major train route are being disrupted due to an attempted theft of signalling cables.

National Rail said trains must run at reduced speeds between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton until damaged cables are repaired.

The issues are affecting passengers travelling with Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway.

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Work projects

Many train services will be affected this weekend as Network Rail carries out an engineering project with services on the West Coast Main Line reduced due to work around Crewe and Carlisle.

Trains will also be affected by track renewals between Carstairs and Lanark in Scotland, while there will be significant changes to services on the Great Eastern Main Line because of work building a new station at Beaulieu Park to the east of Chelmsford.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said Friday was the busiest day of the year for UK airports since October 2019, with more than 3,150 departing flights.

Around 8,486 flights are scheduled to take to the skies between Saturday and Monday.

The most popular international destinations for UK departures are Dublin, Amsterdam, Palma, Alicante and Malaga.

Longer spells of rain

Weather-wise, the Met Office is forecasting a "typical springtime mix of weather" with sunshine, showers and some longer spells of rain over the bank holiday period.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Harris said: "We are keeping the weather warning situation under review, so please keep up to date with the latest warnings and forecasts from the Met Office if you have plans this bank holiday weekend."

Read more from Sky News: Boy, 14, arrested over terror offence Orange cloud appears after 'industrial incident'

Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "Temperatures could be as low as 3C or 4C in some rural spots in the south first thing. Saturday is looking like the best day of the weekend.

"There'll be more in the way of sunshine than recently, but Ireland and eastern England will see cloud and rain moving in. South Wales and southwest England will turn wet later.

"Rain will turn increasingly patchy on Sunday as it moves northwards, with heavy showers developing from the south.

"They'll bring the risk of hail and thunder, with localised flooding possible.

"Bank holiday Monday will bring further showers, some thundery, but western parts will turn drier later on.

"It's worth keeping an eye on the forecast, as short-notice thunderstorm warnings may be issued on Sunday and Monday.

"Daytime temperatures will be around average, but it should feel warm in any sunshine."

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Warning over bank holiday traffic delays as busiest weekend since pandemic expected

Research shows the best times to get behind the wheel – and when to stay off the roads, article bookmarked.

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Drivers are likely to face severe congestion at the weekend, with this year’s late May bank holiday set to be the busiest on the roads since beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic .

More than 20 million “leisure trips” will be made by car between Friday and Monday, the RAC predicts, while The AA says that more than half of the drivers in the UK will be on the road at some point over that period.

Its research suggests that the worst day to travel will be Friday 24 May as four million journeys are planned, with the long weekend coinciding with the start of the half-term break for UK schools.

And the RAC is warning that traffic could be at its worst since the same weekend in 2019, when over 22 million drivers took to the road.

Traffic volume looks set to remain consistently high throughout the period, with 3.7 million trips expected to take place on Saturday 25 May, while 3.4 million journeys are anticipated on both Sunday and bank holiday Monday.

Day trips are the main reason drivers will be getting in their car over the weekend, with 22 per cent stating that they’ll use their car for a day out with friends or family. Others intend to spend a day in the countryside or by the beach (8 per cent), while staycations are the reason for getting behind the wheel for 7 per cent of those questioned by the RAC.

Separate research by The AA shows that the vast majority of drivers are yet to decide on their destination. However, it anticipates that “coastal destinations and theme parks ” will be “very busy”.

Fans heading to Wembley for the FA Cup final on Saturday or the Championship play-off final on Sunday are being advised to check their journey, with the routes from the north (including the M1 and M6) and the M3 from the south expected to be busier than usual.

Traffic is predicted to build throughout the day on Friday, with transport analytics specialists Inrix advising motorists to delay their departures until 6pm to miss the worst of the queues when both commuter and leisure drivers are sharing the roads.

The M25 clockwise between junction 7 for the M23 and junction 21 for the M1 is expected to bear the brunt of the traffic – those travelling on this stretch suffering delays of more than an hour and a half in the late afternoon.

On Saturday, traffic is expected to peak between 3pm and 6pm. Inrix says it is expecting routes from cities to coasts to have some of the worst delays as drivers head to the seaside.

In the middle of the day, the M5 southbound – a major holiday route – is likely to suffer major hold-ups with journeys on a 45-mile stretch between J16 north of Bristol and J25 for Taunton in Somerset expected to take over an hour longer than usual.

On Saturday afternoon, snarl ups are anticipated on the M25 anticlockwise towards the M23 and the A14 eastbound towards the east coast, as well as on the M3 and A34 that funnel large volumes of leisure traffic towards resorts on the south coast.

The clockwise M25 is expected to again be the busiest route for traffic at the end of the school half term on Friday 31 May, with journeys between the M23 and the M1 likely to nearly triple in duration to three hours.

“Our research suggests this weekend could be the busiest of the year so far on the roads, with millions of people embarking on getaway trips to make the most of the three days and, for those with school age children, the start of the half-term holiday,” said RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson.

She added: “In those places where the warm spring sunshine makes its presence felt, the number of people deciding to get behind the wheel and head for the coast or countryside will only go up, swelling the overall volume of cars on the roads.”

Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at Inrix, believes that “drivers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major cities and towards the coasts”.

“The best general advice to anyone spending time away from home this weekend is to travel as early or as late in the day as possible to avoid the worst delays,” he said.

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Traffic and Travel

Essex Live is the place to find up-to-the-minute traffic and travel information for the Essex region, including rail, public transport and across major road routes including the M25, M11, A12, A13, and the Dartford Crossing. Get updates on Greater Anglia train services, bus services and park & ride. Essex's road, rail, air and sea network is constantly evolving to keep up with the daily demand of travellers.

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May Bank Holiday travel hell warning with 20 MILLION drivers hitting the roads this weekend – check worst day to travel

• Harry Goodwin
• Published : 7:36, 21 May 2024
• Updated : 10:42, 21 May 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

THE RAC has warned of travel hell this May Bank Holiday - with 20million drivers hitting the roads over the weekend.

Friday is likely to be the worst day to travel , as the long weekend kicks off just as many schools go on half-term.

Motorists face brutal 90-minute delays on the M25 clockwise that afternoon between Junction 7 for the M23 and Junction 21 for the M1.

Hour-long queues are expected to clog up a 45-mile stretch of the M5 from Bristol to Taunton in Somerset .

The RAC's Alice Simpson said: "Our research suggests this weekend could be the busiest of the year so far on the roads.

"Millions of people are embarking on getaway trips to make the most of the three days.

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"For those with school age children, it's also the start of the half-term holiday.

"We're looking at possible leisure traffic volumes returning to levels similar to what we last saw in 2019 before the coronavirus outbreak.

Best and worst times to travel

TRAFFIC is predicted to build through the day on Friday, with INRIX advising motorists to delay their departures until 6pm.

On Saturday, traffic is expected to peak between 3pm and 6pm, with drivers urged to start their journeys as early as possible.

Traffic volumes look set to remain consistently high throughout the long weekend as 3.7million trips are expected to take place on Saturday.

Another 3.4million journeys are anticipated on both Sunday and bank holiday Monday.

"Drivers' desire to make the most of the UK has increased in those places where the warm spring sunshine makes its presence felt.

"The number of people deciding head for the coast or countryside will only go up, swelling the overall volume of cars on the roads."

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Inrix travel expert Bob Pishue said: "A near-record number of travellers are expected to be on the roads over the holiday period.

"Drivers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major cities and towards the coasts.

"Travel as early or as late in the day as possible to avoid the worst delays."

There will also be disruption to train services this weekend as Network Rail carries out engineering projects.

Services on the West Coast Main Line will be reduced due to work around Crewe and Carlisle in the north west.

Trains will also be affected by track renewals between Carstairs and Lanark in Scotland .

The Great Eastern Main Line will be hampered by work building a new station at Beaulieu Park to the east of Chelmsford in Essex .

Network Rail says it often carries out major engineering work over bank holiday periods to reduce the number of passengers impacted.

RAC expert's advice

RAC breakdown expert Alice Simpson said:

"No-one likes to think about their vehicle breaking down, especially on a bank holiday weekend.

"But vehicles that are serviced regularly and generally looked after are much less likely to let their drivers down.

"Any worries about bad ‘carma’ can be often be put to rest. There’s still time to book a service or repair before next weekend using an RAC Mobile Mechanic.

"Checking tyres are all in good condition and pumped up properly, as well as ensuring oil and coolant levels are where they should be, is a must for all drivers before any getaway trip."

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Great Manchester Run 2024: Road closures this weekend

The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run takes place on Sunday, May 26, with 30,000 participants set to take part

• 08:11, 25 MAY 2024

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Thousands of competitors will take to the city centre this weekend for the Great Manchester Run . Taking place on Sunday, 30,000 people are due to take part, while many more will line the streets in a show of support.

Both 10k and half marathon events are taking place on Sunday, May 26, with start times staggered throughout the day. The run - one of Europe’s biggest races - will be broadcast on the BBC from 11am until 1pm.

Last year, the huge running event celebrated its 20th anniversary with Olympic legend Sir Mo Farah also taking part . The four-time gold medallist completed the race for a final time after confirming he would retire from elite competition after the AJ Bell Great North event in September 2023.

READ MORE: Great Manchester Run 2024 start time, road closures, route and everything you need to know

Paul Foster, Chief Executive for The Great Run Company, said: “Over 30k runners are signed up to take part in the world-famous Great Manchester 10k and half marathon event on Sunday, 26 May, with over 100,000 spectators expected to line the streets, roaring runners on from start to finish.

“Not only is the event broadcast live on BBC One to millions, there’s an electric atmosphere from start to finish, with live bands, charity cheer points and tens of thousands of supporters cheering along the way."

Tomorrow (May 25) a Junior and Mini Great Manchester Run will take part at the Etihad Campus. Those aged between 3-16 will take on a 1.6km dash, while junior runners (9-15) take on a 2.5km challenge.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the action kicks off on Portland Street with the Elite Wheelchair Race at 8.15am, followed by the AJ Bell Great Manchester Half Marathon at 8.20am.

With an event of this size taking place, several roads within the city will be affected, with road closures and traffic diversion plans in operation. Sunday will also see Manchester City hold its victory parade following the club's historic fourth-successive Premier League title.

The Blues will take to the streets on Sunday (May 26) in a rite-of-passage victory tour around the city. The route will see the four-time champions travel from the National Football Museum and along Deansgate in the city centre.

It will take place in the evening to ensure enough time for clean-up after the half marathon, council bosses said, with an estimated start time of 7:30pm. The parade is expected to last for two hours, until around 9.30pm.

Below, you can find out below which roads will be closed for the Great Manchester Run, and when they will reopen.

Which roads will be closed for the Great Manchester Run 2024?

Saturday, 25 May:

• Liverpool Road from Deansgate to Barton Street from 5am until Sun 21 11pm
• Tonman Street from Deansgate to Barton Street from 6am until Sun 21 11pm. Access Tonman Street via Barton Street and Longworth Street via Camp Street

Sunday, 26 May:

Roads that will be closed from 4am:

• Chepstow Street: from Oxford Street to Great Bridgewater Street
• Deansgate: from Whitworth Street West to John Dalton Street
• Dickinson Street
• Peter Street: from Mount Street to Street Peters Square
• Portland Street: from Oxford Street to Princess Street
• St. John Street: from Deansgate to Byrom Street

Roads that will be closed from 6am:

• Mancunian Way (East and Wets bound): from Fairfield Street to Regent Road

Roads that will be closed from 7am:

• Alan Turing Way: From Ashton New Road to Ashton Old Road
• A5063 Trafford Road: from White City Circle Roundabout to Salford City Boundary
• A5063 White City Circle
• A56 Bridgewater Way: from Chester Road to Wharfside Way
• A56 Chester Road: from Bridgewater Way to Bridgewater Viaduct
• A56 Chester Road: from White City Circle roundabout to Sir Matt Busby Way
• A5801 Wharfside Way: from White City Circle Roundabout to Salford City Boundary
• Abingdon Street
• Ashton Old Road: from Alan Turing Way to Pin Mill Brow
• Atkinson Street: from Byron Street to Deansgate
• Bloom Street: from Chorlton Street to Princess Street
• Bootle Street: from Deansgate to Southmill Street
• Bridgewater Viaduct
• Byrom Street: from Quay Street to Hardman Street
• Central Street: from Southmill Street to Lloyd Street
• Chester Road: from Bridgewater Way to Bridgewater Viaduct
• Chester Road: from Mancunian Way Roundabout to Cornbrook
• Chester Road: from Hadfield Street to Bridgewater Way
• Chorlton Road: from Jackson Street to Mancunian Way
• Chorlton Street: from Portland Street to Silver Street
• City Road East: from Albion Street to Great Jackson Street
• Cross Street: from Cross Street to John Dalton Street
• Elevator Road: from Wharfside Way to Trafford Wharf Road
• Ellesmere Street: from Hulme Hall Road to Chester Road
• Fairfield Street: from Ashton Old Road to Mancunian Way
• Great Bridgewater Street: from Oxford Street to Deansgate
• Hardman Street
• Hulme Hall Road: from Ellesmere Street to Chester Road
• Jacksons Row; Lloyd Street
• Major Street: from Sackville Street to Princess Street
• Manor Street: at Mancunian Way
• Midland Street: from Hooper Street to Ashton Old Road
• Minshul Street: from Portland Street to Aytoun Street
• Oxford Street: from Peter Street to Whitworth Street West
• Peter Street: from Deansgate to Mount Street
• Pin Mill Brow: from Fairfield Street to Mancunian Way
• Portland Street: from New York Street to Princess Street
• Princess Street: from Albert Square to Portland Street
• Quay Street: from Deansgate to Byrom Street
• Sackville Street: from Portland Street to Major Street
• Silver Street: from Minshul Street to Chorlton Street
• Sir Alex Ferguson Way
• Sir Matt Busby Way
• Southmill Street; Trafford Road: from Exchange Quay to Trafford Road
• Trafford Wharf Road: from Warren Bruce Road to Trafford Road
• Warren Bruce Road: from Wharfside Way to Trafford Wharf Road
• Wharf End: from Trafford Wharf Road to Trafford Road

Roads that will be closed from 7.30am:

• Albion Street: from Whitworth Street West to Medlock Street
• Medlock Street: from Albion Street to River Street
• Whitworth Street: from Albion Street to Glouce Streeter Street

Roads that will be closed from 8am:

• Ashton New Road: from Rowsley Street to Alan Turing Way

Road re-opening times:

• 11am : Ashton New Road
• 11:30am : Alan Turning Way
• 1pm : Ashton Old Road; Chorlton Road; Fairfield Street; Manor Street; Midland Street; Pin Mill Street; Mancunian Way
• 2:45pm : Albion Street; Medlock Street and Whitworth Street;
• 4pm : Peter Street; Portland Street; Abingdon Street; Bloom Street; Chep Streetow Street; Chorlton Street; Cross Street; Great Bridgewater Street; Major Street; Minshul Street; Oxford Street; Portland Street; Princess Street; Sackville Street; Silver Street and Parker Street;
• 6pm : Dickinson Street; Atkinson Street; Bootle Street; Bridgewater Viaduct; Byrom Street; Central Street; Chester Road; Ellesmere Street; Hardman Street; Hulme Hall Road; Jacksons Row; Lloyd Street; Peter Street; Whitworth Street West; Quay Street; Southmill Street; Deangate. A5063 Trafford Road; A5063 White City Circle; A56 Bridgewater Way; A56 Chester Road; A5801 Wharfside Way; Chester Road; Elevator Road; Sir Alex Furguson Way; Sir Matt Busby Way; Trafford Wharf Road; Victoria Place; Warren Bruce Road; Wharf End; Trafford Road.
• 7pm : Deansgate from Whitworth Street We Street to Peter Street
• 9pm : Street John Street; Liverpool Road 23:00pm: Tonman Street

Parking suspensions:

On-street parking suspensions will be in operation within the city centre for the duration of the events. The majority will start at 4am on Sunday, 26 May 2024.

These suspensions will be clearly marked in accordance with Manchester City Council protocol. People are advised not not park cars in any of the parking bays during the suspension period.

It will be removed for safety by Manchester City Council Parking Control. There may also be a charge to recover an impounded vehicle.

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