Most Bank Holiday Traffic Delays are Avoidable
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ITIS, The UK's leading provider of transport, traffic and travel information, is urging motorists to plan ahead better to avoid the traffic delays expected over the Bank Holiday weekend. Most of the worst traffic jams are avoidable according to Nick Simmons of ITIS.
"As usual, the Spring Bank Holiday will coincide with the majority of schools' Half Term periods, and so we can expect large numbers of vehicles travelling on the roads on the weekend preceding the Bank Holiday Monday, May 30th", he said.
"From early Friday afternoon we can expect the usual heavy congestion on major arterial routes. The message is to plan ahead, allow more time, and check one of the numerous sources of traffic information available. ITIS provides traffic data to all UK mobile phone networks. To receive up-to-date traffic and travel information direct to your mobile phone, call 401100 from any mobile handset, or 2222 from any Vodafone handset, or 2020 from any T-mobile handset."
The weather is currently expected to be fine and so Saturday and Monday are likely to see motorists travelling to sporting events, theme and wildlife parks and out of town shopping centres. Bank Holiday Monday itself is likely to be very quiet on the roads overall, although it will be busy locally at key interest points. Nick added: "The Friday before Spring Bank Holiday 2004 saw overall volumes of traffic rise by some 20% on the preceding Friday. The following day, overall volumes were more than double than the preceding Saturday. By contrast, the roads on Bank Holiday Monday 2004 were two thirds quieter that the previous Monday due to the absence of commuter traffic. We can expect this pattern to be repeated this year."
Bank Holiday Traffic Summary
Sporting Events
The Bank Holiday Weekend sees Football League Play Offs, all at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff with 3pm kick offs;
Saturday, May 28th - League 2 Play Off
Sunday, May 29th - League 1 Play Off
Monday, May 30th - Championship Play Off
Test Match Cricket takes place at Lords Cricket Ground, St Johns Wood, London between England and Bangladesh, commencing on Thursday, May 26th. Play is scheduled to continue throughout the weekend.
British Superbike racing will take place at Silverstone,Northamptonshire from the 27th to 29th of May.
The FIA 'Main Event' takes place at Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, between the 27th and 30th of May (Friday to Bank Holiday Monday), with Top Fuel Dragsters, Top Methanol Dragsters, Funny Cars, Pro Stock, Bilsport NDRS Pro Mods, NDRS Series, UEM Drag Bikes, Jet Carm and Jnr Dragsters.
Horse racing takes place as follows over the weekend;
Saturday - Cartmel (evening) Doncaster, Goodwood, Hexham, Lingfield Park, (evening) and Musselburgh.
Sunday - Fontwell Park, Newmarket and Uttoxeter
Monday - Cartmel, Chepstow, Leicester, Redcar, Sandown Park
Attractions
Longleat House and Safari Park has all attractions open.
Gullivers Theme Parks have three sites - Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes.
Other attractions likely to be busy are Alton Towers (Staffordshire), American Adventure World (Derbyshire), Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Lancashire), Chessington World of Adventure (Surrey), Thorpe Park (Surrey) and Legoland (Windsor, Berkshire).
Events
Three music festivals are taking place over the holiday weekend;
Orange Evolution Music Festival runs from May 19th to 30th at various
locations in the Tyneside area.
Bud Rising runs from May 20th to 30th at various London venues.
Out of Africa runs from May 23rd to 30th in London and Off the Tracks Spring Festival takes place at Castle Donington, Leicestershire between May 27th and 29th.
Surrey County Show takes place at Stoke Park, Guildford on May 30th and on the same day, Northumberland Agricultural Show takes place at Corbridge.
Shopping Centres
Major shopping centres are likely to be busy and include the following;
Trafford Centre, Manchester
Cheshire Oaks Retail Outlet Village, Chester, Cheshire
Bluewater Shopping Centre, Greenhithe, Kent
Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock , Essex
Bicester Village Retail Park, Oxfordshire
The Marlands, Southampton
The Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield
The Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, Buckinghamshire
The White Rose Centre, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Cribb's Causeway, Bristol
The Metro Centre, Gateshead
Coastal Resorts
Scarborough - routes A1/A1(M) N/B, and A64 E/B
Skegness - routes A46 N/B, and A52 E/B
Great Yarmouth - routes A14 E/B, and A47 E/B
Southend-on-Sea - routes M25 C/W and A127 E/B
Dover - routes M2 E/B, and A2 S/B
Folkestone - routes M20 S/B
Brighton - routes M23 S/B, and A23 S/B
Eastbourne - routes A22 S/B
Southsea - routes M3 S/B, and M27 E/B
Bognor Regis - routes A3 W/B, A243 S/B, A24 S/B, and A29 S/B
Bournemouth - routes A31, A350 and A338 S/B
Weymouth - routes A37, A350 S/B, and A354 S/B
Torquay - routes M5 S/B, and A380 S/B
Falmouth - routes A30/A38 W/B, A390 S/B, and A39 S/B
St Ives - routes A30/A3074 W/B
Newquay - routes A30 W/B, and A392 W/B
Bude - routes A30/A39 W/B, and A3072 W/B
Minehead/Ilfracombe - routes A39 W/B
Weston Super Mare - routes M5 S/B, and A370 W/B
Tenby - routes A40 W/B, and A477 W/B
Aberystwyth - routes A470 W/B, and A44 W/B
Colwyn Bay/Llandudno - routes A55 W/B
Rhyl/Prestatyn - routes A55, A5117 W/B, and A548 W/B
Southport - routes M58 W/B, and A570 W/B
Blackpool - routes M6 N/B, and M55 W/B
Morecambe - routes M6 N/B, and A683 W/B
Major Roadworks
Major roadworks remain in place on the M60 in Manchester between junctions 8 and 5 both ways.
Ongoing works also remain in place between junctions 12 and 15 of the M25.
Reference Material:
For further information please visit www.itisholdings.com or www.navtrak.com
"As usual, the Spring Bank Holiday will coincide with the majority of schools' Half Term periods, and so we can expect large numbers of vehicles travelling on the roads on the weekend preceding the Bank Holiday Monday, May 30th", he said.
"From early Friday afternoon we can expect the usual heavy congestion on major arterial routes. The message is to plan ahead, allow more time, and check one of the numerous sources of traffic information available. ITIS provides traffic data to all UK mobile phone networks. To receive up-to-date traffic and travel information direct to your mobile phone, call 401100 from any mobile handset, or 2222 from any Vodafone handset, or 2020 from any T-mobile handset."
The weather is currently expected to be fine and so Saturday and Monday are likely to see motorists travelling to sporting events, theme and wildlife parks and out of town shopping centres. Bank Holiday Monday itself is likely to be very quiet on the roads overall, although it will be busy locally at key interest points. Nick added: "The Friday before Spring Bank Holiday 2004 saw overall volumes of traffic rise by some 20% on the preceding Friday. The following day, overall volumes were more than double than the preceding Saturday. By contrast, the roads on Bank Holiday Monday 2004 were two thirds quieter that the previous Monday due to the absence of commuter traffic. We can expect this pattern to be repeated this year."
Bank Holiday Traffic Summary
Sporting Events
The Bank Holiday Weekend sees Football League Play Offs, all at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff with 3pm kick offs;
Saturday, May 28th - League 2 Play Off
Sunday, May 29th - League 1 Play Off
Monday, May 30th - Championship Play Off
Test Match Cricket takes place at Lords Cricket Ground, St Johns Wood, London between England and Bangladesh, commencing on Thursday, May 26th. Play is scheduled to continue throughout the weekend.
British Superbike racing will take place at Silverstone,Northamptonshire from the 27th to 29th of May.
The FIA 'Main Event' takes place at Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, between the 27th and 30th of May (Friday to Bank Holiday Monday), with Top Fuel Dragsters, Top Methanol Dragsters, Funny Cars, Pro Stock, Bilsport NDRS Pro Mods, NDRS Series, UEM Drag Bikes, Jet Carm and Jnr Dragsters.
Horse racing takes place as follows over the weekend;
Saturday - Cartmel (evening) Doncaster, Goodwood, Hexham, Lingfield Park, (evening) and Musselburgh.
Sunday - Fontwell Park, Newmarket and Uttoxeter
Monday - Cartmel, Chepstow, Leicester, Redcar, Sandown Park
Attractions
Longleat House and Safari Park has all attractions open.
Gullivers Theme Parks have three sites - Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes.
Other attractions likely to be busy are Alton Towers (Staffordshire), American Adventure World (Derbyshire), Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Lancashire), Chessington World of Adventure (Surrey), Thorpe Park (Surrey) and Legoland (Windsor, Berkshire).
Events
Three music festivals are taking place over the holiday weekend;
Orange Evolution Music Festival runs from May 19th to 30th at various
locations in the Tyneside area.
Bud Rising runs from May 20th to 30th at various London venues.
Out of Africa runs from May 23rd to 30th in London and Off the Tracks Spring Festival takes place at Castle Donington, Leicestershire between May 27th and 29th.
Surrey County Show takes place at Stoke Park, Guildford on May 30th and on the same day, Northumberland Agricultural Show takes place at Corbridge.
Shopping Centres
Major shopping centres are likely to be busy and include the following;
Trafford Centre, Manchester
Cheshire Oaks Retail Outlet Village, Chester, Cheshire
Bluewater Shopping Centre, Greenhithe, Kent
Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock , Essex
Bicester Village Retail Park, Oxfordshire
The Marlands, Southampton
The Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield
The Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, Buckinghamshire
The White Rose Centre, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Cribb's Causeway, Bristol
The Metro Centre, Gateshead
Coastal Resorts
Scarborough - routes A1/A1(M) N/B, and A64 E/B
Skegness - routes A46 N/B, and A52 E/B
Great Yarmouth - routes A14 E/B, and A47 E/B
Southend-on-Sea - routes M25 C/W and A127 E/B
Dover - routes M2 E/B, and A2 S/B
Folkestone - routes M20 S/B
Brighton - routes M23 S/B, and A23 S/B
Eastbourne - routes A22 S/B
Southsea - routes M3 S/B, and M27 E/B
Bognor Regis - routes A3 W/B, A243 S/B, A24 S/B, and A29 S/B
Bournemouth - routes A31, A350 and A338 S/B
Weymouth - routes A37, A350 S/B, and A354 S/B
Torquay - routes M5 S/B, and A380 S/B
Falmouth - routes A30/A38 W/B, A390 S/B, and A39 S/B
St Ives - routes A30/A3074 W/B
Newquay - routes A30 W/B, and A392 W/B
Bude - routes A30/A39 W/B, and A3072 W/B
Minehead/Ilfracombe - routes A39 W/B
Weston Super Mare - routes M5 S/B, and A370 W/B
Tenby - routes A40 W/B, and A477 W/B
Aberystwyth - routes A470 W/B, and A44 W/B
Colwyn Bay/Llandudno - routes A55 W/B
Rhyl/Prestatyn - routes A55, A5117 W/B, and A548 W/B
Southport - routes M58 W/B, and A570 W/B
Blackpool - routes M6 N/B, and M55 W/B
Morecambe - routes M6 N/B, and A683 W/B
Major Roadworks
Major roadworks remain in place on the M60 in Manchester between junctions 8 and 5 both ways.
Ongoing works also remain in place between junctions 12 and 15 of the M25.
Reference Material:
For further information please visit www.itisholdings.com or www.navtrak.com
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