With the festive season fast approaching and nearly 40% of drivers planning long journeys, National Highways is removing over 1,100 miles of roadworks from motorways and major A-roads to help minimise disruption during peak travel times.
From 6 a.m. on Friday 20 December until 12:01 a.m. on Thursday 2 January, more than 95% of roadworks will be lifted. This will help ensure major routes across the UK are clear for motorists during the busy festive period.
Significant routes to benefit from roadworks being lifted or completed for the festive period include:
- More than 100 miles of roadworks on the M25 London Orbital
- Over 25 miles of roadworks on the M4 between J4 near Heathrow and J14 at Hungerford
- More than 12 miles of roadworks on the M27 near J3 and Southampton
- A three-mile stretch on the M62 Ouse Bridge between Junctions 36 and 37
- More than 33 miles of roadworks across the A47 from Peterborough to Lowestoft
- 28 miles of roadworks on the M1 between Hemel Hempstead and Milton Keynes
- 59 miles of roadworks on the A14 between Thrapston, Northamptonshire, and Felixstowe in Suffolk
Friday 20 December is expected to be the busiest day on the roads over the festive period, with 7.2 million people estimated to be planning journeys of more than two hours. Drivers are encouraged to plan and prepare now by packing a winter travel kit, including de-icer, an ice scraper, warm clothing, boots, food, water, a torch, and a snow shovel.
National Highways data shows that winter breakdown incidents on major roads have increased by 22% over the last five years, with tyre issues being the top cause (19.1%), followed by loss of power (7.9%)*.
The acronym TRIP is an easy way for drivers to remember the four simple steps to take to prepare ahead of using motorways and major A-roads this winter:
- Top-up: Fuel, oil, and screen wash
- Rest: Plan regular stops every two hours to avoid driver fatigue
- Inspect: Check tyre pressure and tread
- Prepare: Have a plan for severe weather conditions
Andrew Butterfield, National Highways Customer Service Director, said: “With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads.
“To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage and, to reduce the risk of breakdowns, we are also urging motorists to check their vehicles using the handy acronym TRIP – especially tyres, coolant, and oil levels before setting off.”
The majority of roadworks will be lifted during the Christmas period, including:
- 11 miles in the North West
- 24.7 miles in Yorkshire and the North East
- 164.25 miles in the Midlands
- 235.5 miles in the East
- 743.1 miles in the South East
In more good news for Christmas getaways, 45 miles of roadworks are being removed along the M1. These were put in place to build new places to stop in an emergency. There are now 28 new emergency areas open on the M1.
Together with the phased opening of safety enhancement work on the M1 near Luton, it means that 63 miles of roadworks along the M1 corridor are being removed before Christmas, benefiting drivers making journeys between London and Yorkshire.
