The Christmas travel rush reached its peak today as millions of people across the UK headed home on ‘Frantic Friday’. This caused major traffic gridlock, packed airports, and rail chaos.
According to the AA, there are expected to be 24. 4 million cars on the road today, while airports are facing their busiest Christmas travel period on record. Train passengers were warned of delays due to a driver shortage on the Northern network, a burst water main in Hertfordshire, and delays on the Bakerloo and Northern lines in London.
The M25 near London Heathrow Airport and Bluewater in Kent, the M60 near the Trafford Centre, the M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham, the M4/M5 interchange near Bristol, and the M8 in Scotland are all at risk of traffic jams today. Transport analytics experts Inrix, in partnership with the AC, predict lengthy delays during peak times on what they call ‘Frantic Friday’. This is due to the combination of drivers leaving major cities for the Christmas break and people finishing the working week, leading to increased chances of gridlock.
Delays of more than 30 minutes are expected on the M25 clockwise from J15 (M4) to J19 Watford and anticlockwise from Kingston to East Grinstead. Similar delays are also expected in Manchester on the M60 clockwise from J7 Altrincham to J18 for the M62 for Leeds. In Wales, long delays are predicted towards the Prince of Wales Bridge, along the M4 eastbound from Newport, and the Brynglas Tunnels.
The AA predicts that the busiest time for car travel this Christmas will be between 3pm and 7pm today, with this year’s Christmas getaway expected to be the busiest on record. This trend has been seen since the relaxing of coronavirus travel restrictions. The closure of the M27 motorway in both directions between Junctions 9 and 11 from 8pm on Christmas Eve until 4am on January 4 for major works will also add to the challenge, affecting journeys between Southampton and Portsmouth.
A survey of over 10,000 AA members showed that most drivers will be staying local today, with nearly two-thirds (65%) embarking on a car journey of up to 50 miles. Only 5% said they would drive between 51 and 100 miles, and 2% plan to exceed 100 miles. The main reason for car travel during the festive period is visiting family and friends, followed by shopping and work. This suggests that there will likely be congestion around retail hotspots and motorway interchanges.
Meanwhile, location technology company TomTom warned of ‘severe’ traffic tomorrow, as many people will embark on last-minute shopping trips or getaways to see loved ones. Last year, Edinburgh was the UK’s most congested city, with journeys taking an average of 50. 1% longer compared to free-flowing traffic.