Traffic authorities foresee 8.5 million road trips for Easter in Spain
Friday will be a complicated day on the Spanish roads due to the large number of short-distance trips to leisure and recreation areas near urban centers
On Wednesday 13 April at 3:00 pm, the second phase of the special operation launched by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) for the Easter holidays began in Spain. The traffic surveillance campaign will be active until Monday 18 April at midnight.
The Spanish authorities expect 8.5 million trips, which means an average of more than 1.4 million daily trips. These estimates exceed those of 2019, the last year before the Covid-19 crisis in which the Easter campaign took place normally.
The DGT forecasts heavy traffic from the early hours of Thursday morning, especially at the exits of large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, where traffic jams are expected between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm.
Friday will be a difficult day on the roads throughout the country due to the large number of short-distance trips to leisure and recreation areas near urban centers. In the afternoon there will also be short-distance movements towards towns where processions are held.
On Sunday, the first return of this special operation will begin in the regions of Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia. Police controls and other traffic management and regulation measures will be installed throughout the day to encourage the entry of vehicles into large urban centers.
Return in Catalonia
Finally, on Monday the return will take place in the regions where this day is a holiday (Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Navarra, the Basque Country and La Rioja). This will probably cause traffic problems between 1:00 pm and 11:00 pm on the main roads in these regions and on the access roads in the neighboring provinces.
The Spanish traffic authorities recommend planning the trip in advance, carrying out a complete set-up of the vehicle before leaving, avoiding the most unfavorable days and times for driving and always looking for the best route to avoid unforeseen events.
Drivers can receive up-to-date information on the state of the roads and possible incidents through the twitter accounts @informacionDGT and @DGTes and from the news bulletins on radio and television, as well as on the 011 telephone number.