Despite the total number of roadworks decreasing since 2015, the delays they cause are getting worse.
So far this year there have been an average of 484 roadworks taking place on motorways across the country each week, fewer than the 624 recorded nine years ago.
In 2015, 23 per cent of motorway roadworks – an average of 146 a week – caused delays of 10 minutes or more. That figure has risen to 156 a week in 2024.
National Highways breaks the impact of roadworks down into three categories. “Slight” delays are fewer than 10 minutes, while “moderate” is between 10 and 30 minutes. “Severe” delays are longer than half an hour.
Delays across the Strategic Road Network (SRN), which consists not only of motorways but also the country’s major A-roads, are also at their worst on record.
Since August last year, average traffic delays on the SRN have been measured at more than 10 seconds per vehicle mile, meaning a drive of 60 miles takes 10 minutes longer than it should have done.
National Highways said earlier this week it hoped to lift about 80 miles of roadworks and to have another 420 miles’ worth completed by 6am on Friday.
Creamfields could cause chaos
Other areas, however, are still expecting to see bank holiday congestion.
An alert has been issued for the M56 and M6 in north-west England, with up to 70,000 dance music fans heading to the four-day Creamfields festival in Cheshire, which started on Thursday.
Thousands of drivers were stuck for several hours in queues during the event last year.
Extra police and traffic officers will be deployed around junction 11 of the M56 at Daresbury to deter festival-goers from walking on the motorway, which has happened during previous years, particularly following the end of the event.
Elsewhere, the Dover was expecting more than 20,000 cars to pass through during the three-day weekend.
Travel trade organisation ABTA estimated that more than two million people will be heading overseas between Friday and Monday.
Popular destinations include beach resorts in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey, with many people heading on city breaks to Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and Milan.
CAA data show 160,000 flights were delayed and 8,000 were cancelled across UK airports in July and August last year.