The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) expected to occur more than 16.5 million road trips during Holy Week 2024, whose ‘Special Traffic Operation’ started at 3 p.m. this Friday, March 22 and will run until midnight next Monday, April 1, a holiday in the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Valencian Community and Navarra.
This was announced this Wednesday by the department headed by Pere Navarro, which also specified that the 16,550,000 trips planned by road this Easter represent an increase of 1.5 million compared to the figures for 2019 – the last year before the coronavirus pandemic—and 1% more than in 2023.
During this holiday period, the Traffic operation is carried out in two phases, coinciding with the greatest number of trips and in which almost 90% of the planned movements are concentrated.
In this way, the first phase starts on Friday the 22nd at 3:00 p.m. and ends at midnight on Sunday, March 24. In this phase, 4.2 million road movements are planned. The second phase will begin on Wednesday, March 27 and will end on Monday, April 1.
Regarding traffic forecasts, Traffic expects that from the early afternoon of Friday the 22nd (from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and, especially, between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.) circulation problems may occur and delays at the exits of large cities, as well as at the accesses to coastal tourist areas when long-distance trips at the beginning of the holiday period coincide with the usual short weekend movements.
The DGT has reported that this Saturday morning, the 23rd, intense traffic will continue out of the large urban centers (between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.) and that it will be added to the circulation of vehicles whose destination is the nearby recreation and leisure areas. them.
Regarding Sunday the 24th, he explained that this first phase of the special operation will close with the return of those who have enjoyed the weekend, so delays are expected in the evening (especially between 6 and 10 p.m.) on access to cities, although less intense than other Sundays.
This Holy Week, the DGT tells its technical means (fixed and mobile speed control radars, helicopters and dronesin addition to cameras and camouflaged vans to control the use of mobile phones and seat belts) and humans (agents of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, official staff of the Traffic Management Centers, helicopter patrols and personnel in charge maintenance of equipment and the installation of roadside measures).
Likewise, he has announced that, during these days, they will implement traffic management and regulation measures such as the installation of reversible lanes that facilitate circulation in and out of urban centers depending on needs, the cessation of works or restrictions on certain freight vehicles, in specific sections and times.