National Highways is making the Easter getaway easier this year by lifting more than 850 miles of roadworks over the bank holiday.

Around 98% of England’s motorway and major A-road network will be free from roadworks over the Easter bank holiday

Around 98% of England’s motorway and major A-road network will be free from roadworks over the holiday period.

Roadworks will be removed by 6am on Thursday 28 March and not put back until Tuesday 2 April.

It’s also urging drivers to prepare for travel with the help of its TRIP (top-up, rest, inspect and prepare) campaign. This covers four elements:

Top-up: Fuel, oil and screenwash highlights some of the basic vehicle checks you can carry out at home. It’s really important to check your fuel level, water level and oil level before embarking on a long trip.

Rest: take regular comfort breaks encourages people to be well rested ahead of their journey identifying places to stop for a break during your journey.

Inspect: check tyre pressure and tread focusses on some simple things you can do at home to care for your tyres.

Prepare: have a plan for all weathers encourages drivers and their passengers to take seasonal kits with them on their journey so they have provisions in the event of hold ups and traffic jams and check the weather forecast.

Andy Butterfield, customer services director at National Highways, said: “This is the first bank holiday of the year, so we expect the roads to be busy with people looking to make the most of a long weekend.

“We are doing what we can to make journeys easier by removing miles of roadworks, but I would encourage everyone to take some time, plan ahead and ensure your vehicle is prepared for what might be a long journey.

“Two of the top three causes of breakdowns are tyre issues and empty fuel tanks. We don’t want anyone to go through the stress of breaking down, so we would encourage everyone to follow our TRIP advice – this all about remembering a few simple steps to make journeys easier and safer.”