At one of the busiest times of the year football fans are gearing up to travel the country to see their teams in action during the hectic festive fixture schedule.



And to help ensure their journeys are as smooth as possible, motorists are being reminded that Highways England will be lifting 200 miles of roadworks over the festive period.

To help journeys flow more smoothly and to keep disruption to a minimum, more than 97 per cent of motorways and strategic A roads will be roadworks-free in time for Christmas, meaning sports lovers and shoppers alike can get to their destination as smoothly as possible.

Where it is safe to do so, roadworks will be lifted or suspended on England’s motorways and major A-roads by 6am on Friday 21 December until 12.01am on Wednesday 2 January.

The decision to lift roadworks has been welcomed by English Football League Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey. He said:

Football remains a much-loved staple of the festive period and EFL Clubs play a significant role in bringing together friends and families up and down the country as they follow their favourite team.

With almost 150 EFL matches scheduled between Friday 21 December to Wednesday 2 January, the EFL welcomes the decision taken to lift or suspend roadworks on England’s motorways and A-roads over Christmas and New Year – something that we hope will make the lives of thousands of fans travelling up and down the country that little bit easier.

Highways England’s customer service director Melanie Clarke said:

We’re doing everything we can to make journeys as smooth as possible for this Christmas getaway and that’s why we’re keeping more than 97 per cent of our road network free from roadworks.

We know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times on our roads and we’d also like to remind people about the importance of checking their vehicle before setting off on their journeys. Simple things like checking your fuel and oil levels, tyre pressures and that all lights are working properly, can keep you moving and the network flowing.

Highways England traffic officers will be working around the clock, patrolling the network to help those people who do get into difficulty.

And the company responsible for managing England’s major road network is also reminding people to leave plenty of distance between themselves and the vehicle in front to avoid tailgating.

Statistics the company released earlier this year show that one in eight of all road casualties are caused by people who drive too close to the vehicle in front, with more than 100 people killed or seriously injured each year.

Highways England has a dedicated web page where drivers can find more information about tailgating and what they can do to stay safe.