The next few days are expected to be particularly busy on Spanish roads, as many inland residents head to the coastal and mountainous zones for a short break to celebrate San José, also known as Father´s Day.
As the day falls on a Thursday this year, it is likely to lead to an extended holiday weekend for many who choose to take the Friday off as well. As a result, between Wednesday 18 March, and Sunday 22 March, there will be an anticipated 5 million road journeys, an increase of 8.5% more than usual.
In Valencia, Madrid, Murcia and Navarre, the “special operation” monitoring traffic flow will take place from 15:00 on Wednesday, 18 March, until 24:00 on Sunday, 22 March.
In the Community of Galicia, it will take place from 15:00 on Thursday, 19 March until 24:00 on Sunday, 22 March.
In the rest of the regions, the operation will be from 15:00 on Friday, 20 March, until 24:00 on Sunday, 22 March.
In order to ease congestion, many of the scheduled road works will be suspended, there will be restrictions on heavy goods at certain times, and special lanes will be created to provide more access routes in problematic areas.
As always, the advice is to plan your routes in advance, trying to avoid the busiest times, which are likely to be heading from inland areas to the coast and mountains at the start of the operation, then returning home after the weekend.
Allow plenty of time for your journey, including scheduling plenty of rest stops, and monitoring the weather conditions for your route.
The traffic conditions can be checked on the DGT website, but here are a list of the main routes expected to be busy during the period.
COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA:
Carreteras: A-3, A-7, AP-7 y CV-35.
GALICIA:
Carreteras: A-6, AP-9, A-52, A-55, N-550 y N-634.
MADRID:
Carreteras: A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5, A-6, AP-6 y M-40.
MURCIA:
Carreteras: A-7, A-30, A-91 y RM-332.
NAVARRA:
Carreteras: AP-68, A-1, A-12, A-15, N-121 A y N-240.
Full details of the operation are available on the special page of the DGT website http://www.dgt.es/es/el-trafico/recomendaciones/operacion-especial/index.shtml.
