Leasing Options has warned fleets of the roads to avoid on August Bank Holiday and has suggested alternative routes to minimise delays.
It suggests that drivers travelling on August Bank Holiday should avoid the A1 through Northumberland, as it is a major north to south travel route and has been subject to ongoing roadworks projects, leading to further delays through lane closures and traffic signals.
Mike Thompson, CEO at Leasing Options, said: “Tourism in Northumberland is growing, with over 10.5 million visitors in the last year.
“However, people don’t just visit Northumberland; the county is a major north-south travel route, which is key to connecting London to Edinburgh.
“The A696 and A68 for north-south travel is the easiest way to avoid any congested areas of the A1, particularly during peak tourist season.”
Thompson also warns against using the A55 through Snowdonia, as it is the only dual carriageway to service the area and is therefore a common bottleneck.
The A494 serves as an alternate route, running through Bala and Ruthin, bypassing popular coastal areas.
In Devon and Cornwall, Thompson suggests avoiding the A381, which has single lanes and links a number of towns, as well as the A30, particularly between Exeter and Land’s End.
Thompson said: “The A381 is one of the most notorious roads in Devon for its traffic. Links through Teignmouth to Salcombe can be particularly busy with traffic building, due to the road only having single lanes.
“Newton Abbot town centre also experiences heavy traffic, particularly during key shopping hours or during the weekend.
“If you want to beat the traffic, try to avoid passing through any of the town centres like Newton Abbot and Totnes to reduce travel times.
“The A30 is notorious for traffic, particularly from Exeter to Land’s End, which runs through key tourist areas like Launceston, Bodmin, and Truro.
“Chiverton Cross Roundabout is historically a major bottleneck, despite recent upgrades, and Carland Cross to Chiverton has also been upgraded to a dual carriageway, but delays do still occur.
“To avoid the A30 traffic, consider taking the A38 via Dobwalls as an alternative; the A390 and A39 are also good for bypassing some of the busier sections of the A30.”
Leasing Options also suggests avoiding the A591 in the Lake District.
Thompson said: “The A591, which runs through key tourist towns such as Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, and Thirlmere, develops traffic build-ups easily.
“Ambleside and Windermere town centres can also develop traffic easily, especially during peak season.
“For travellers looking to avoid Lake District traffic, the A590 is a great alternative to the A591 as it doesn’t pass through any specific tourist towns, but it still has views of the striking Lake District scenery.”
