Overview
- The AA expects about 24.4 million car trips today and has flagged an amber warning, as National Highways removes some roadworks to help traffic flow.
- Congestion is forecast at named hotspots including the M60 near the Trafford Centre and Simister Island, the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow, the M5/M6 and M4/M5 interchanges, and stretches of the M25 near Heathrow and Bluewater.
- The RAC projects around 37.5 million leisure car journeys between 17 and 24 December, while TomTom warns of severe queues on Saturday from late‑morning into early evening.
- Airports are handling record volumes with about 460,000 departures today and roughly 3 million over the peak, and the Port of Dover expects nearly 30,000 outbound cars with morning peaks.
- Post‑Christmas engineering works will disrupt key rail routes including the West Coast main line and major London stations, with coach operators adding extra seats and an M27 closure in Hampshire set to divert traffic.