Bank Holiday gridlock on the region’s roads began in earnest yesterday as thousands prepared to make an Easter getaway.
More drivers are expected to hit the highways this weekend as people opt to holiday in the UK because of the credit crunch.
A spokesman from the AA predicted congestion would build up on the M6 in Birmingham and motorists were warned to “be prepared” as jams are expected to be at their worst today and on Monday.
But experts said that provisions had been made in order to ease congestion over a weekend in which an estimated 10 million people will take to the UK’s roads.
The Highways Agency, responsible for England’s motorways and major roads, said it had completed 37 sets of roadworks in time for Easter and that a further 51 sets would be suspended until the end of Easter Monday, with 32 remaining in place.
Regional suspensions include maintenance between Junctions 5 and 6 of the M6 and the A46 around Longbridge Island in Warwickshire.
Those travelling by rail will have to contend with the closure of the West Coast Main Line between Rugby and Milton Keynes from Easter Saturday until noon on Easter Monday. Buses will replace train services between Milton Keynes Central and Rugby, Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton and Stafford, and Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
But despite the credit crunch, Birmingham International Airport is set for a busy weekend with 360,000 passengers expected to travel to popular destinations including Dubai, and New York.
