This weekend's Easter bank holiday weekend is set to be the busiest for at least eight years on UK roads.

It is estimated there will be 21.5 million leisure trips taken between Good Friday and Easter Monday, according to the RAC.

This is the most since RAC began tracking motorists' plans around Easter in 2014. 

Good Friday is expected to have the most amount of traffic on the roads. 

RAC traffic spokesman Rod Dennis said: “After two years of relatively quiet Easter bank holidays on the roads, our research suggests a return to traffic levels that are much more typical of this time of year.

“It’s very possible this weekend could turn out to be one of the busiest for leisure journeys for many years.

“Add in the impact of disruption on the rail network and one of the biggest fixtures of the sporting calendar taking place this weekend, and you have all the ingredients needed for problems on the roads.

“Traffic volumes will likely be even higher if some warm spring sunshine makes an appearance.”

Which roads are expected to be busiest? 

Traffic information supplier Inrix highlighted several likely congestion hotspots.

These include:

– The M6 north between Junction 26 (Orrell Interchange, Greater Manchester) and Junction 36 (the Lake District).

– The M25 clockwise from Junction 8 (Reigate Hill Interchange, Surrey) to Junction 16 (Denham Interchange, Buckinghamshire).

– The A303 near Stonehenge, Wiltshire.

What to do if you need to travel around Easter

The RAC is urging people to set off before 9am or after 7.30pm to avoid the queues. 

Mr Dennis urged drivers to make sure vehicles are prepared for getaway trips.

“This is even more important for anyone travelling longer distances than they have for several months,” he said.

“A breakdown is much less likely if a car’s oil and coolant levels, as well as tyre pressure and tread depth, have all been checked before setting out.”

Other transport disruptions over Easter 

Several airlines and airports are struggling to cope with staff sickness and shortages, with thousands of flights cancelled by easyJet and British Airways in recent weeks.

Manchester Airport is warning departing passengers to expect delays of up to 90 minutes.

Large traffic queues are likely to continue on roads in Kent due to a shortage of cross-Channel sailings caused by the suspension of operations by P&O Ferries after it sacked nearly 800 workers.

Rail passengers are being warned of delays as Network Rail carries out 530 engineering projects costing a total of £83 million.

The West Coast Main Line will be closed between London Euston and Milton Keynes between Good Friday and Easter Monday due to upgrades of the existing line and HS2 work.

This will affect football supporters as Liverpool and Manchester City meet in an FA Cup semi-final match at Wembley on Saturday.

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