DRIVERS in Somerset could be hit by long delays this Easter weekend – which is set to be the busiest since 2022.

More than 19 million leisure journeys are planned, according to a new study by the RAC and traffic analytics specialists, INRIX, with the M5 near Taunton and Bridgwater in Somerset among places set to be hardest hit.

The research suggests traffic will be equally severe on Thursday (April 18), Good Friday and on Saturday, with drivers planning around 2.7m trips each day.

The number of trips planned drops slightly on Easter Sunday – to 2.5m – before increasing again to a further 2.7m on bank holiday Monday as millions make their way home ahead of most school terms starting the next day.

A further 6.2m journeys are anticipated at some point over the bank holiday weekend, but the data said these drivers are unsure when they’ll travel.

INRIX said it expects Thursday to be the worst day for traffic, with jams likely to increase by nearly a third (30%) on usual delays.

The worst hit stretches during these jams are the 35-mile anti-clockwise stretch of the M25 between J7 for Gatwick Airport and J16 for the M40 to the West Midlands, at around 11.45am.

The M6 north of Chester and M25 clockwise towards Godstone in Surrey could also see long delays in the evening.

Meanwhile, on Good Friday, the lengthiest hold-ups are expected between 11am and 1pm, with drivers advised to start their trips as early as possible in the morning, or delay them until later in the afternoon.

Two popular routes to the West Country – the A303 westbound to Stonehenge and the M5 southbound between J15 at the RAC tower north of Bristol and J23 for Bridgwater – could be affected by some of the longest jams, with journey times extending to 43 minutes and one hour 20 minutes respectively – more than half as long as usual.

For those returning from the West Country on Easter Monday (April 21), delays of nearly an hour (58 minutes) are expected around 2.30pm on the M5 northbound between J25 for Taunton and J16 at the RAC tower.

Elsewhere, the M25 anticlockwise between J4 from Bromley and the Dartford Crossing will be hit with queues at lunchtime, with journeys taking over half an hour longer than normal.

RAC breakdown spokesperson, Alice Simpson, said: “The late bank holiday weekend clashes with the end of the Easter break for many schools – which we think will change the nature of this year’s getaway.

“Although journey numbers are still very high, we’re anticipating more day trips and weekend breaks than people heading off on one and two-week stints, reflected by INRIX’s predictions that the worst delays will be along routes from Gatwick to the rest of the country.

“This could lead to a ‘hat-trick of hold-ups’ on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as drivers visit family and friends.

“But while getaway journeys may be shorter in length, we’re still expecting to see extremely high levels of traffic from Thursday onwards, with the greatest number of Easter getaway trips planned for three years.

“Drivers shouldn’t expect to escape the queues if they don’t plan the best time to set off. It’s always best to travel as early as possible in the morning or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased, especially if headed to popular holiday destinations such as the West Country, Scotland or Wales.”