More than 1,000 miles of roadworks are to be removed across the UK in a bid to avoid travel chaos this Christmas.
With the festive season practically here, and nearly 40% of drivers said to be planning long journeys across the country to spend time with their loved ones this Christmas, National Highways has announced that it’ll be removing more than 1,100 miles of roadworks.
The roadworks are being removed from motorways and major A-roads nationwide in a bid to help minimise disruption during peak travel times.
This means that, from 6am on Friday 20 December up until 12.01am on Thursday 2 January, more than 95% of roadworks will be lifted to help make sure major routes across the UK are clear for motorists during the busy festive period.
More than 1,000 miles of UK roadworks are being removed to avoid Christmas travel chaos / Credit – Vladimir Proskurovskiy (via Unsplash)
Some of the significant routes set to benefit from roadworks being lifted or completed for the festive period include more than 100 miles of roadworks on the M25 London orbital, 59 miles of roadworks on the A14 between Thrapston in Northamptonshire to Felixstowe in Suffolk, and more than 33 miles of roadworks across the A47 from Peterborough to Lowestoft.
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A grand total of 11 miles of roadworks are to be removed in the North West, which is… useful.
Friday 20 December is expected to be the busiest day on the roads over the festive period, according to National Highways.
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It’s estimated that 7.2 million people are planning journeys of more than two hours on this day.
7.2 million people are expected to make journeys during the festive period / Credit: RAC
Because of this, drivers are being encouraged to plan ahead for their journeys and prepare for all weather eventualities too by packing a winter travel kit that includes de-icer, an ice scraper, warm clothing, boots, food, water, a torch, and a snow shovel.
“With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads,” commented Andrew Butterfield, who is the Customer Service Director of National Highways.
To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage.”
Featured Image – National Highways (via Facebook)
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A Manchester City fan has died after a medical incident at Manchester derby
Daisy Jackson
A Manchester City fan has tragically passed away after a medical incident at the Manchester derby yesterday.
The club has confirmed that one of the club’s supporters died after collapsing during the match against Manchester United.
They wrote: “Manchester City are aware of the tragic news that one of our supporters passed away following a medical incident at yesterday’s match.
“The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with their family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
Man City and Manchester United faced off at the Etihad Stadium yesterday, with Man United eventually taking the win thanks to a 90th-minute goal by Amad Diallo.
An eyewitness told theManchester Evening News they saw the fan being administered CPR at around 4:10pm.
People have been leaving tributes to the Manchester City fan, who has not yet been named, online.
One person wrote: “RIP that city fan. No one should go to a football match and not come home again. RIP”
Another said: “An important reminder amongst all the squabbling over yesterday’s result is that the football isn’t everything. Thoughts are with his family, RIP blue.”
Someone else posted: “Rip blue. Thoughts are with your family and friends at this sad time.”
New ‘B Plates’ introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking
Emily Sergeant
New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers who are bad at parking can identify themselves for all to see.
Consider yourself good at parking? Well, that’s bold of you to claim… because for a lot of us, we wouldn’t be so confident to say that, and it turns out we’re not alone either, as some new research has revealed that 48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training or assistance with their parking manoeuvres.
The new B plates – with the ‘B’ standing for ‘bad parking’ – are designed to be attached to a vehicle so you can apologise to other motorists for your lack of parking prowess.
On top of the 48% of bad parkers, the research by Scrap Car Comparison found that a further one in six (17%) say they have experienced stress or worry about having to park their car, while a third of drivers (30%) say they spend extra time searching for a parking bay with free spaces either side.
New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking / Credit: Supplied
74% of new drivers aged between 17 and 24 say they could benefit from more guidance in lessons.
Overall, one in four motorists (23%) claim that they weren’t taught well enough when it came to parking maneuverers, according to the research.
It’s hoped that the new B Plate stickers will encourage drivers to ‘own’ their parking pitfalls, the company says, as well as seek the additional guidance required to gain more confidence behind the wheel.
48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training with their parking manoeuvres / Credit: Supplied
“Just like a P plate enables new drivers to ask for patience from other road users, our B plates will give people the chance to hold their hands up, say sorry and ask for forgiveness, if they know their parking leaves a lot to be desired,” explained David Kottaun, who is the Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison.
“We hope the plates also serve as encouragement for drivers to seek additional parking guidance to build up their confidence.”
Scrap Car Comparison are offering a limited number of B plate stickers to interested drivers for free if you fill out the ‘register interest’ on its website here, and then based on interest levels, they will be made more widely available in 2025.
Emily Sergeant -
16th December 2024 
