Preparing for the Easter Rush

Easter is always a busy time on the roads and this year is no exception, with many inland residents choosing to travel to coastal and mountainous regions for a short break.

Primarily, the movement of vehicles heads towards the coast before the holiday period, heading back inland at the end and shortly after, with key times throughout when traffic will be particularly busy everywhere.

The good news is that from their years of experience, the DGT are able to predict those busiest times, and therefore advise us of the best times to avoid being on the roads in order to minimise delays and congestion.

The whole transportation plan begins on Wednesday afternoon, but Thursday morning is also particularly busy. On Friday and Saturday the focus is at the holiday hotspots, with retail and leisure sites particularly busy, whereas on Sunday afternoon poses the biggest problem as there is a shorter timeframe for the return operation, although some areas celebrate the Monday as a holiday too, and so the return to some of those regions can be delayed.

The full operational plan will be released by the DGT shortly, which will advise of such improvements as extra lanes to increase traffic flow, the suspension of road works and many heavy and restricted goods movements, as well as the army of Guardia Civil and emergency management teams who will be looking to keep the roads flowing safer during the period.

There is an infographic already prepared which shows the key times to avoid, including Wednesday from 19:00 to 21:00, Thursday from 10:00 until 15:00, Friday from 11:00 until 15:00. For the return operation, the busiest times are likely to be on Sunday from 12:00 until 22:00, and on Monday from 07:00 until 09:00 and from 12:00 until 21:00.

Remember, if you do have to drive during these periods, allow extra time for your journey, take plenty of breaks, stay calm and maintain a safe speed and distance at all times.