Anticipates Significant Traffic Congestion During Ascension Weekend, According to ADAC - Anticipated Road Congestion during the Ascension Weekend as per ADAC's Predictions
Ascension Weekend Brings Expected Traffic Congestion in North Rhine-Westphalia
Throughout the long Ascension weekend, drivers in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany, can prepare for excessive traffic and prolonged congestion, especially on Wednesday. Last year, the day before Ascension was among the ten most congested days registering 779 congestion hours, reported the automobile club ADAC.
Simultaneously, there are no official school holidays in NRW on Friday; however, many students have a flexible holiday day, leading to additional leisure travelers. In other federal states, the bridge day is uniformly a school holiday, signifying a high probability of increased family vacations.
The busy metropolitan areas of Cologne and the Ruhr region will likely experience complete highway congestion due to heavy traffic flow and approximately 700 construction sites, as per ADAC North Rhine's traffic and environment department head, Roman Suthold. He predicts that congestion will peak between 1 PM and 7 PM, when both commuters and short vacationers will be on the roads. Drivers setting out in the evening or on Thursday may find their journeys less congested and more relaxed.
Sunday afternoon's return traffic will again cause a buildup of vehicles; however, since commuters will not be using the roads, Suthold anticipates fewer congestion issues compared to the weekend's onset.
Avoiding congestion via country roads seldom provides a substantial advantage, according to ADAC. Detour routes are prone to becoming congested as well, a spokesperson noted, making it only logical to exit the highway in cases of congestion over ten kilometers or a complete closure.
Avoidance of a highway congestion through lesser-used routes is usually not a good idea
It's worth mentioning that sidestepping a highway congestion via country roads typically does not yield a significant advantage, as per ADAC. Often, the detour routes are also quickly congested, according to a spokesperson. "It only makes sense to get off the highway in case of congestion of more than ten kilometers or a complete closure."
During the Ascension weekend in North Rhine-Westphalia, drivers might find their desired lifestyle of leisure travel affected by the anticipated traffic congestion and prolonged delays, especially on Wednesday. Moreover, with many students having a flexible holiday day, there could be an increased number of travelers, leading to more vehicles on the roads, similar to vacation trips in other federal states.
