The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) expects 803,000 movements on the roads crossing the Community of Madrid during the first phase of the Special Easter Traffic Operation that starts at 3:00 p.m. this Friday and will last until midnight on Sunday the 13th.
In total, the department led by Pere Navarro expects 2,473,000 movements on the region’s roads throughout the Easter operation, which will extend until midnight on Monday, April 21, a holiday in Catalonia, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Valencia, and Navarre, as reported by Europa Press sources from the DGT.
In the second phase, covering from 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday the 16th until midnight on Monday the 21st, it is estimated that another 1,670,000 road displacements will occur in the Community, the same sources have indicated.
Nationally, the DGT expects 15,840,000 road movements, representing a 2.47% increase compared to the actual movement figures recorded during Easter 2024, according to the department led by Pere Navarro, who specified that the operation is carried out in two phases, coinciding with the highest number of movements and concentrating almost 90% of the predicted movements.
Thus, the first phase begins on Friday the 11th at 3:00 p.m. and ends at midnight on Sunday the 13th of April. In this phase, 4,230,000 million road movements are expected.
Regarding the second phase, Traffic has emphasized that it is «more important» than the previous one due to the volume of vehicle displacements throughout the entire road network. It will start on Wednesday the 16th and end on Monday the 21st of April.
The DGT anticipates that on the afternoon of Thursday, April 10th, there will be many holiday displacements, «thanks to telecommuting and the fact that Friday is a non-school day in several autonomous communities.»
However, Traffic anticipates that the main traffic issues will begin in the early afternoon of Friday the 11th (from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and especially between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.) with traffic jams at the exits of major cities and access to coastal tourist areas as long-distance displacements coincide with the start of the holiday period and the usual short weekend trips.
Saturday morning will continue with intense traffic leaving major urban centers (between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.) adding to the flow of vehicles heading to recreational and leisure areas nearby. Sunday will close the first phase of the special operation with the return of those who enjoyed the weekend, leading to traffic jams in the evening (especially between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.) at the city entrances, although less intense than on other Sundays.
For this operation, the DGT has the «maximum availability» of its human resources (Traffic Group Officers of the Civil Guard, civil servants, and specialized technical personnel attending Traffic Management Centers, Helicopter patrols, and personnel responsible for equipment maintenance and road installation measures).
They will all work to facilitate traffic mobility and flow, as well as to ensure road safety. Additionally, reversible and additional lanes will be installed through signage, marking, and cones during peak traffic hours, and alternative routes will be established.
Likewise, Traffic will halt roadworks, limit the holding of sports events and other activities that occupy the roadway, and restrict the circulation of general goods trucks and those transporting certain goods in specific sections, dates, and times.
The DGT will maintain «under the appropriate Road Safety conditions the circulation for all types of vehicles on roads with sections or areas affected by adverse weather conditions such as snow, ice, fog, rain, and wind.»
Users will be assisted in case of any incidents or unforeseen events that may arise during the trip, and the «correct» behavior of users on the road will be monitored with the human and technical resources available to the organization: fixed and mobile speed control radars, as well as helicopters, drones, cameras, and camouflaged vans to monitor mobile phone use and seat belt compliance.
The DGT has emphasized the importance of «trying to avoid unfavorable and very unfavorable hours» for traveling and planning the trip on the safest route to avoid unforeseen events, and to check the road conditions through the X accounts, informational bulletins on radio and television, as well as by calling 011. The operation details can be found on the DGT website.
ALCOHOL AND DRUG CONTROLS
Traffic has also warned that the 5,600 officers of the Civil Guard’s Traffic Group will intensify controls on alcohol and drugs, as well as speed on all types of roads «with the aim of preventing a repeat of the number of fatalities from last Easter when 27 people died in 24 traffic accidents.»
They will also monitor the use of seat belts and Child Restraint Systems (SRI) as seven of the eleven fatalities in cars and vans in 2024 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.
Additionally, it has been cautioned that after the intense rains that have occurred throughout the Spanish geography in recent weeks, there are road sections that have been affected and are being repaired by the road owners. «Although the works are paused during these holidays, there may be lane narrowings or closures that may make it advisable to opt for alternative routes to avoid these sections where more than usual traffic jams may occur,» it has been explained.
