Easter falling early this year means it is likely to be one of the busiest bank holiday weekends in recent years, a motoring firm has warned.
More than four out of five (81 percent) UK motorists are planning a leisure trip by car over the weekend, according to an AA poll of more than 20,000 people.
This equates to nearly 26 million drivers on the road.
The AA believes the longer gap between Easter and summer is encouraging more people to take advantage of the four-day weekend.
Bank holiday getaway traffic is expected to peak on Saturday, with 66% of motorists driving to a holiday destination or leisure outing.
AA patrol of the year Vince Crane urged families to carry out essential vehicle checks and pack sufficient supplies in case they are affected by gridlocked traffic or severe weather.
He said: “As well as your snacks and road trip playlist, pack some must-haves for long journeys like a sat-nav or atlas, a fully charged mobile phone and any time-dependent medication in case of delays.
“With the Met Office signalling the possibility of a return of the Beast from the East, don’t take your winter emergency kit out of the car just yet. That snow shovel may still come in handy.”
Highways England is removing 300 miles of roadworks from England’s motorways and major A-roads to ease the flow of traffic.
About 99 percent of the network will be open in time for Easter, the Government-owned company said.
Services on some of Britain’s busiest rail routes will be suspended during the weekend due to engineering work.
More than 400 projects will be carried out as part of a £118 million investment by Network Rail.
Passengers travelling between London and Scotland via the West Coast Main Line between Saturday and Monday will have to use replacement buses between Glasgow and either Carlisle or Preston, depending on the day of travel.
London Euston, the UK’s fifth busiest station, will be closed on Sunday, with a reduced service on the previous and following day.
Significant work in the Bristol area means no trains will run between Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads and Yatton/Bath Spa from Friday to Tuesday April 3.
There will also be disruption to services between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, as well as routes serving London Paddington.
Network Rail said it schedules engineering work for bank holidays as there are fewer passengers than normal on those days.
