WET, WINDY WEATHER COULD CAUSE CHRISTMAS TRAFFIC CHAOS
12/14/2011 5:00 AM EST
With a strong likelihood of frosty or wet and windy conditions affecting most parts of the country during December, with a possibility of very high winds and heavy rain, the Christmas getaway will be slow and very busy on major routes, says Trafficmaster
Forecasts of frosty, wet, windy weather will add to the woes of drivers on Friday 16 December, as schools break up, people head out for the last few shopping days before Christmas and the general holiday getaway begins.
“December is a very busy time on the roads because of poor weather and shorter daylight hours. By the week commencing 19th December, commuter and HGV traffic will be much lighter than usual, with heavier than usual daytime traffic to and from retail outlets, continuing into the evening” said Graham Smith, Data Manager at Trafficmaster, who monitor traffic congestion across the country.
Expect delays during evenings around major retail outlets, especially at closing times:
• A406, A5 and M1 around Brent Cross between 8pm and 10.30pm
• M1 around Junction 33/34, and Attercliffe Road, Sheffield around Meadowhall, Sheffield between 9pm and 10pm
• M25 around Junction 30/31 and A13 around Thurrock until 23.30 after Lakeside closes
• M5 around Junction 16 (Cribb’s Causeway)
• A1 around Gateshead until 22.00 when Metro Centre closes
• M60 around Junctions 8/10 until 23.15 when Trafford Centre closes
• Local roads around other major retail outlets, such as the Centre: Milton Keynes, Merry Hill (Dudley), Westfields (Shepherds Bush) and Westfields (Stratford City) also City Centre shopping centres elsewhere, around the extended closing times
Trafficmaster also predicts the ‘getaway’ traffic is likely to be spread throughout the afternoons and early evenings during the week, but most concentrated on Thursday 22nd December and Friday 23rd December.
“The great unknown factor affecting congestion at this time of year is of course, the weather, which could make journeys much more difficult,” Graham Smith continued. “We'd encourage anyone travelling in the run-up to Christmas to plan their journey in advance, get the latest traffic information from our 1740 mobile phone service and alter your journey time to miss these peak periods if you can.”
Christmas Day is normally an extremely quiet day on Britain’s roads. Boxing Day, Monday 26th December, will see some leisure traffic, to & from Boxing Day race meetings (weather permitting) at Kempton Park, Huntingdon, Market Rasen, Sedgefield, Towcester, Wetherby, Wincanton and Wolverhampton and Football League match traffic. Although many retail outlets remain closed on Boxing Day, some will be starting their sales early, and may attract some local heavy traffic.
Unfortunately, that’s not the end of the story, as Trafficmaster expects daytime congestion levels, between 10.00am and 4.00pm, to build again between the Bank Holiday Tuesday 27th December and the New Year. While commuter traffic will be quiet, many people will be heading to shopping centres as most retail sales are starting then.
Trafficmaster’s top congestion hotspots for the week before Christmas are:
• M1 between Junction 6A (M25) and Junction 14 (Milton Keynes), also between Junction 25 (Nottingham/Derby) and Junction 31 (M18)
• M3 from Winchester (Junction 9) to M27 at Southampton
• M4 from Chiswick (Junction 1) to Newbury (Junction 13), from Junction 20 (M32) to M5 interchange, and from Severn Crossing (Junction 23A) to Cardiff (Junctions 29-32).
• M6 around M1 interchange (where overnight work on the Catthorpe Viaduct continues through the week); also between Junctions 4A and 11A through West Midlands, and between Junction 15 (Stoke-on-Trent) and Junction 21A (M62).
• M25 Western Sector between Junctions 10 (A3 interchange) and 21A (A406), also Eastern Sector and Dartford Crossing between Junction 28 (Brentwood) and Junction 2 (A2).
• M27 from M3 interchange (Junction 4) to Junction 1 (A31) and onwards on A31 to Ringwood and Ferndown.
• M42 between Junction 3A (M40) and Junction 7 (M6 interchange).
• M60 around most sections
• M62 between Junction 12 (M60) and Junction 10 (M6), also between Junction 23 (Huddersfield) and Junction 30 (Wakefield).
• A11 around Elveden Cross Roads
• A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon
• A31 from M27 to Ringwood and Ferndown
Traffic enquiries:
For traffic updates, Trafficmaster’s control centre is on 01234 759 100 (available 24/7) and Michael Savage, Trafficmaster’s Head of UK Networks, is available on 07730 922 800 for comment on the traffic situation.
www.trafficmaster.co.uk
About Trafficmaster
Trafficmaster is an expert in intelligent driving. The Group comprises US-based Teletrac Inc., Fleet Management Solutions® (FMS) and Trafficmaster Ltd in the UK. Each organisation focuses on intelligent vehicle services, which enhance the driving experience and improve business performance by saving companies and drivers time and money, reducing their environmental impact as well as providing vehicle and driver security.
The group has developed a suite of Trafficmaster services in the UK. Trafficmaster's key product is the award-winning Smartnav, an intelligent satellite navigation system, which uses live traffic information and real-time road speeds to calculate optimum routes and avoid traffic congestion. Trafficmaster's comprehensive traffic data means Smartnav is continually updated with traffic information, road closures and speed camera locations.
Trafficmaster offers the Thatcham approved Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking, which is monitored 24 hours a day in the Trafficmaster Control Centre. Stolen vehicles automatically alert the Trafficmaster emergency desk operators who then monitor them remotely and inform the police of their whereabouts for fast and efficient recovery.
Trafficmaster maintains a unique network of 5,200 traffic monitoring sensors, generating high quality real-time traffic information on the UK motorway and trunk roads. Live traffic information is provided to customers via RDSTMC, premium rate telephone services, the internet and various data feeds.
Trafficmaster provides, Fleet Director, their fleet management solution in the UK, which combines all of Trafficmaster’s intelligent technology to help businesses become more efficient and productive, whilst reducing the environmental impact of driving.
Trafficmaster was founded in 1988 and floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1994. Teletrac Inc. and FMS are wholly owned US subsidiary companies. On the 29th July 2010 Trafficmaster was acquired by Vector Capital and was delisted from the London Stock Exchange.
For further information visit
www.trafficmaster.co.uk www.vectorcapital.com or
www.teletrac.net