Brits trying to embark on the big summer getaway on Saturday will be faced with huge queues and long delays as millions hit the road on the busiest day of the summer.
Around 3 million car journeys are expected to take place in a ‘Saturday Scramble’ and another 2.7m set to be completed on Sunday, according to RAC estimates, with huge traffic jams likely to keep holidaymakers sitting stationary for hours.
Traffic is expected to be at its worst in the middle of the day as families flock abroad.
Motorists have been warned they should leave before 10am on Saturday or after 7pm on Sunday if they want to avoid painful pile-ups.
Around 10,000 cars are expected to travel through the Port of Dover on Saturday as they set off on trips to Calais and Dunkirk – popular routes for those travelling to France or Belgium.
The port has already said it is facing ‘tourist traffic delays’ as it reported processing times of over an hour from 6am, although that reduced to 50 minutes by 9am.
It warned travellers to travel via main routes to avoid delays and disrupting nearby residents.
Doug Bannister, chief executive at the Port of Dover said his organisation has been ‘preparing for a busy summer’ and have brought in measures to ‘minimise disruption’.
Brits trying to embark on the big summer getaway on Saturday will be faced with huge queue
Around 3 million car journeys are expected to take place in a ‘Saturday Scramble’ according to RAC estimates
He said: ‘We know how vital it is to keep things moving, not just for holidaymakers but for our local community too.
‘That’s why we’ve boosted staff levels, strengthened traffic management, added welfare facilities and introduced AI-powered forecasting – all to minimise disruption and ensure both residents and travellers have the best possible experience during this busy season.’
The Port of Dover added it was expecting nearly 40,000 cars this weekend and more than 270,000 in the next six weeks.
Nick Mullender, RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader, said ‘Saturday is expected be the single busiest day for summer traffic with many drivers travelling long distances to get to their holiday destination.’
A swamped Saturday follows a ‘Frantic Friday, where another 2.7m Brits set off abroad, days after the end of the academic year for most English schools.
Many families were on the move but there was disruption for those travelling to London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports.
An area of Heathrow Terminal 3 was cleared on Friday morning while a fire alarm was investigated, which passengers said had caused huge waits for passport control.
The alert just after 11am led to the temporary evacuation being carried out by staff for safety reasons, which some travellers complained had led to two-hour queues.
Huge traffic jams over the weekend will likely to keep holidaymakers sitting stationary for hours
Areas of Heathrow’s Terminal 3 were evacuated on Friday while a fire alarm was investigated
Christina Warren, who had just arrived on a Virgin Atlantic flight, tweeted: ‘Landed at Heathrow an hour early but there was a fire alarm so the line for passport control is literally backed up literally the entire terminal because of a fire alarm going off.’
Meanwhile, in Essex, drivers on the M11 were warned of seven-mile queues after it was blocked in both directions near Stansted after two crashes between junctions eight and nine.
Those heading to Gatwick were hit by train chaos after a points failure at Haywards Heath impacted services operated by Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink.
Other disrupted rail services included LNER between Retford and Newark after a train hit an obstruction on the track; and the Mildmay line in London due to defective track.
Great Western Railway trains between Castle Cary and Westbury were affected by a points failure; while four Hull Trains services were cancelled due to Aslef strike action.
The past week has been the busiest period for midweek car trips since records began, with 13.9m journeys taking place between Monday and Thursday, according to the RAC.
