AT LEAST seven million cars are expected to be on the roads between today (Thursday) and Sunday night as a result of the national holiday, say sources from the general directorate of traffic.
Police have upped vigilance on motorways and other major highways, given that millions of residents will be taking short breaks which involve travelling.
Today (Thursday, August 15) is a public holiday throughout Spain, but many workers will have either been given Friday off or will have booked it as a day's annual leave to give them a four-day weekend.
For this reason, traffic volume began to increase from around 15.00hrs yesterday (Wednesday) and is likely to continue until the end of the weekend.
Extra breathalysing for alcohol and drugs will be carried out on random drivers, particularly in areas where the greatest density of traffic is predicted – from big cities, particularly Madrid and central Spain in general, towards the coasts of Murcia, Valencia, Catalunya and Andalucía.
Some 22 per cent of journeys will take place on, or towards, the east coast, and then in reverse on Sunday evening, plus around 21 per cent in the middle of the country and 20 per cent in the south.
So far, few major gridlocks have been reported, except on the A-4 near Santa Elena (Jaén province), the N-340 near Torrenueva (Granada province) heading north towards Almeria, and the SE-30 near the Centenario bridge in the province of Sevilla, all as a result of minor accidents or breakdowns blocking the carriageway.
As at early this morning, no fatalities had yet been reported on Spain's roads as a result of the mass bank holiday migration.
