RAC Warns of 19 Million M5 Traffic Leisure Trips by Monday
Drivers facing m5 traffic over the early May bank holiday weekend were warned to expect the busiest period on UK roads in a decade, with the RAC estimating 19 million leisure car trips from Friday to Monday. That total came close to the record 20 million forecast for the same period in 2016.
RAC Forecast for May
The RAC said the 19 million trips would stretch across the four-day period from Friday through Monday, putting holiday traffic at its highest level for the weekend in a decade. For many drivers, that means more demand on main routes at the same time as leisure travel peaks.
The comparison with 2016 is the clearest marker in the forecast. The RAC said this year's estimate would be only slightly behind the 20 million leisure car trips predicted for that same period in 2016.
Liverpool Lime Street Closure
Rail passengers in the north-west also faced disruption. Liverpool Lime Street station was due to close on Sunday and remain shut until about noon on Monday while Network Rail installed new signalling around Edge Hill.
Northern said buses would replace trains all day between Lime Street and Huyton, and between Lime Street and Hunts Cross. The closure narrowed the options for anyone trying to avoid the road traffic warned about for the bank holiday weekend.
Manchester Piccadilly Services
Late-night services to and from Manchester Piccadilly were also set to change on Monday because of engineering work. Northern listed changes to the 22:17 Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly service, which would terminate at Stockport, and the 22:47 Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly service, which would skip nine stations and use a bus from Chinley to Manchester Piccadilly for intermediate stops.
Other services were also altered. The 23:16 Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield train would not run, while the 21:55 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport service would be extended to Macclesfield. Northern said the 23:18 New Mills Central to Manchester Piccadilly and 23:25 Manchester Piccadilly to New Mills Central trains would be replaced by buses, and the 23:29 Manchester Piccadilly to Glossop service would not run, with bus and mini-bus links provided.
The 23:37 Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport service would not run, and the 22:22 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport service would make additional calls at Mauldeth Road, Burnage, East Didsbury, Gatley and Heald Green.
Clitheroe Monday Night
There were also late-night changes to services to and from Clitheroe in Lancashire on Monday. Northern said the 21:52 Rochdale to Clitheroe service would terminate at Blackburn, with a replacement bus from Blackburn to Clitheroe, and the 23:42 Clitheroe to Blackburn service would not run.
For drivers, the immediate takeaway was to expect far heavier leisure traffic than a normal bank holiday and to plan around the combined pressure of road congestion and rail engineering work across the north-west.
