Black Friday for UK's drivers

Drivers have been warned to expect the busiest Friday of the year on the roads as English schools break up for the summer and families head off on holiday.

A study by AA Roadwatch has revealed that 47% of British families are planning to holiday in the UK this year, which will put added pressure on the country's over-stretched road network.

The worst of the congestion is likely to start around midday on Friday, with up to 14 million cars swamping the roads. Routes to the south-west are likely to be the busiest, while congestion is also expected on all main routes to the coast, cross-channel ports and major airports.

Travel through the West Midlands will also be hit hard due to the closure of parts of the M6 motorway.

Drivers who are planning to travel southbound on the M6 should note that it will be closed overnight from junctions 11 (Cannock, Wolverhampton) to 7 (Great Barr interchange) on Friday night (10pm until 8am) and again on Saturday night (8pm until 10am).

Usual suspects
Other routes that will suffer from congestion include parts of the M4, M5, A30 and A39, along with roads heading for ferry ports.

The Daily Telegraph has created a Google map of the routes to avoid, with live traffic information.
Daily Telegraph Google map