As we begin the latest holiday weekend in Spain, the road network is expected to be particularly busy once again.
Friday is a regional holiday across Valencia and Monday is a National holiday affecting the whole country.
The special operation begins at 12:00 on Friday and runs until midnight on Monday the 12th, where the Valencia region alone is expected to see 2.1 million vehicle movements.
Across the country there will be an anticipated 5,750,000 journeys made, with Valencia accounting for 20% of all traffic.
Within the Valencia region there is expected to be 1,100,000 movements in the province of Valencia, 800,000 in Alicante and 300,000 in Castellon.
Although the special operation begins on Friday, Thursday is when traffic is expected to begin to accumulate, with the late afternoon expected to be busiest. After that, Friday between 08:00 and 14:00 and Monday between 16:00 and 21:00 will be the busiest times overall.
The coastal hotspots are likely to be the busiest, including Benidorm, El Altet, Santa Pola and Torrevieja, as well as the connections from the motorway network and the N-332 main coastal road.
In order to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and the safest possible journey, the DGT will be using the “maximum” resources available, including strengthening the Guardia Civil patrols, and using their helicopters to monitor traffic. All none essential road works will be suspended and the transport of dangerous goods will be controlled.
When driving on long journeys the usual advice still stands, mainly to allow plenty of time for your journey, try to avoid the busiest times, take plenty of breaks and maintain a safe speed and distance appropriate to the conditions.
For shorter journeys, local drivers should be aware that many of the vehicles on the roads will be driven by people not as used to the roads as they are, and so patience and understanding are also important.
