10-mile queues on A30 and long delays on M5 as bank holiday getaway starts
Inrix Traffic and Travel is reporting tailbacks at St Erth, Scorrier to Carland Cross and the A39 between Falmouth to Truro
Last updated 28th May 2021
The bank holiday getaway has started and it is already causing long delays on Cornwall's roads.
Inrix Traffic and Travel says traffic is queuing for 10 miles between Scorrier and Carland Cross on the A30.
Highways England South West is also reporting congestion between the A390 and the A39 near Newquay.
Further delays are being reported at the St Erth roundabout and the A39 between Falmouth and Truro, including the Treluswell roundabout at Penryn.
On the M5, there are reports of stop-start traffic towards the Clevedon interchange, from J26 - J20 northbound and J14 - J20 southbound.
You can check up-to-the-minute travel reports for Cornwall and the south-west here.
On Wednesday, figures released by the RAC suggested almost 11 million leisure trips would be taken by car over the weekend.
While the figures indicate drivers have firm plans to take around 7.2m trips to see friends and family between Friday and bank holiday Monday - with Saturday and the bank holiday itself busiest at 2m separate journeys each day - an extra 3.6m are due to be taken at some point over the weekend by motorists who have not yet decided on which days they will be on the roads.
The RAC has warned that could increase further, with wall-to-wall with wall-to-wall sunshine forecast on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.
The research also shows the effect the reduction in Covid cases is having on motorists' increasing confidence to drive longer distances to see friends and family. Only one-in-10 drivers (11%) aren't planning leisure trips next weekend due to the pandemic, compared to 18% over the early May bank holiday and 25% over Easter.
The RAC and Highways England are urging all drivers to make sure their cars - and anything they might be towing - are ready for the road this bank holiday by completing some easy pre-departure checks. Ensuring all tyres are in good condition and properly inflated, and that oil, coolant and screenwash are all at the right levels, can go a long way to ensuring a stress and trouble-free journey.
98% of Highways England roads - motorways and major A-roads - will be free of roadworks over the bank holiday to provide extra capacity.
A total of 899 carriageway miles of roadworks will be completed (775) or suspended (124) ahead of the holiday.
RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous said: "With Covid restrictions gradually lifting and some better weather on the horizon at last, we're anticipating large numbers of drivers to be venturing out and about over the bank holiday weekend. The fact only one-in-10 said they weren't planning a trip because of the virus, down from a quarter over Easter, shows people now have more confidence to drive to see friends and family safely.
"Our research points to Saturday and Monday being the busiest days, but in reality, there's a good chance the weather will have the final say as to how busy the roads get. A return to more typical late May temperatures and an end to the recent wind and rain could spark a sudden surge in journeys and mean some routes - especially those to the coasts and hills - start to clog up.
"Drivers can help my colleagues and I have a better bank holiday weekend by making sure their vehicles are in good working order, something that's particularly important for anyone driving longer distances. Taking a few minutes to check tyres and fluid levels before setting out could very easily make the difference between a plain-sailing journey and one beset by a breakdown".
Ben Aldous, RAC
You can read more advice about preparing your vehicles for a long journey here.