Manchester motorists warned of Christmas congestion
Today is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the year as millions of people embark on the Christmas getaway.
Motorists are being warned to expect delays of almost two hours on some routes as people driving to spend the festive period with friends and family compete for road space with commuters.
Highways England are warning the M62 and M6 will be most badly affected, whilst roads around the Trafford Centre also set to be much busier than normal as Christmas shoppers grab last minute presents.
Trains will be busier than normal as passengers complete journeys before parts of the network are shut down for Christmas engineering work.
Some 59% of UK drivers will take to main roads or motorways on Friday, according to an AA poll of 20,000 motorists.
The breakdown recovery firm warned of queues on major routes and urged people to check traffic reports before setting off.
Research by the RAC and traffic information firm Inrix suggested the M25, M6 and M40 will be the worst traffic hotspots.
Highways England said it would lift more than 200 miles of roadworks on the country's motorways and major A-roads by 6am on Friday to ensure more than 97% of the network is open for the festive getaway.
The RAC's Mark Souster urged motorists to carry out basic maintenance checks on their cars - such as oil, coolant and screenwash levels and tyre condition - before setting off.
He said: "It's vitally important every driver planning a trip gives their car a once-over to make sure it's up to the job.
"A single breakdown can bring some roads to a grinding halt, slowing down the Christmas getaway for all of us.''
The anticipated jams will be compounded by extensive disruption to the rail network, with planned engineering work and strikes forcing more people on to the roads over the festive period