August bank holiday: Hundreds of miles of roadworks lifted ahead of 'busier than usual' long weekend

Almost 97% of the network will be free from roadworks over the long weekend, with 512 miles of works lifted, as motorists travel across the country to enjoy the last of the summer in the UK and beyond.

Ahead of the bank holiday, drivers are reminded to have a safe TRIP – top-up, rest, inspect and prepare.

The new summer TRIP safety campaign has been launched to urge motorists to make sure they’re well rested ahead of long journeys.

The TRIP checklist is:

Top-up – fuel, water and oil

Rest – every two hours

Inspect – tyres and lights

Prepare – plan your journey ahead and check the traffic and weather forecasts

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “It’s great that National Highways is lifting roadworks so that everyone can enjoy smooth journeys over the bank holiday.”

“This Government will deliver a safe, reliable, free-flowing road network, delivering for the taxpayer and driving opportunities across the country.

“Thank you to those working on the network who have been making sure that roads are in good condition for people to have safe journeys without disruption.”

The advice on resting before driving long journeys comes as new research from Ipsos and the National Highways Customer Experience Tracker survey finds nearly one in five drivers (18%) say they tend to have less sleep than usual the night before a journey on England’s motorways and/or major A-roads for holidays, short breaks, day trips, or visiting friends or family in summer.

The most common reasons they gave for sleeping less than usual the night before a journey were an early departure (34%), anxiety about the journey or about oversleeping (32%), excitement (32%) or packing and preparations causing them to stay up late or wake up early (31%).

National Network Manager at National Highways Dale Hipkiss, said: “We anticipate the roads will be busier than usual this August bank holiday, with seaside resorts, airports and theme parks amongst some of the most popular destinations.

“People heading to Europe via the Kent ports for some last-minute sun should also check before they travel and leave plenty of extra time as routes in Kent are expected to be busier.

“The lifting of roadworks will keep people moving, and some small checks, top-ups and rest as outlined in the TRIP guidance, are all things we encourage drivers to carry out before any long journey – not just during the bank holiday.”

The roadworks will be removed by 6am on Friday, August 23 and put back into place from 00.01am on Tuesday, August 27.

Motorists driving in hot weather this summer are also being urged to prepare a seasonal kit to help them and their passengers in the event of delays.

The top advice from National Highways is to take plenty of drinking water with you – enough for you and your passengers, as well as food that won’t be affected by the heat.

Other ideas include packing sunblock, sunglasses (except category four), hats and a mobile phone charger to help in case of breakdowns.

If you take medication, it is worth having a supply with you if needed.

Check the Met Office weather forecast for your route and destination.