Traffic jams expected over Easter, with 380,000 cars leaving Barcelona before weekend

The Catalan Traffic Agency (SCT) calls on drivers to "not let their guards down" during the Easter week holidays as traffic jams are expected, with an estimated 380,000 cars leaving Barcelona on Thursday and Friday alone.

Friday and Monday are public bank holidays in Catalonia and more people that usual are expected to be traveling those days. 

Authorities predict that 600,000 vehicles will return to the Catalan capital between Sunday and Monday, with most traffic expected on the AP-7 highway as well as the A-2, C-16, C.17, C-32, C-65, C-31, and N-340 roads.

In some cases, Mossos d'Esquadra police will implement special measures, including reducing speed limits or adding extra lanes.

Overall, police will carry out 1,300 controls during the four days, which include alcohol and drug tests, but law enforcement agents will also check speeds, wearing seat belts, motorcycles, and trucks.

One of the major issues is the increase in alcoholism seen at the wheel, heavily endangering the safety of other drivers. This is worsened by driving at high speeds and being distracted, which is one of the major reasons why accidents occur.

"We have to always pay attention to the road, during the departure, and at the return, and even once we have reached our destination," agent Vicenç Gasulla, deputy head of Mossos d'Esquadra general police station, said to journalists on Wednesday.

"We want everyone to get home safely," Lourdes Puigbarraca, deputy general manager of traffic at SCT, said to media outlets.

"There will be a lot of drivers on Catalan roads over the Easter holidays. This is the first special traffic deployment of the year, and we are expecting a lot of traffic," she added.

Some of the recommendations to avoid traffic jams include planning the journey in advance, considering different alternative routes, avoiding peak hours, and checking the traffic before departing.

The main road where trouble could happen is on AP-7 highway after the number of vehicles increased after tolls were lifted in September 2021.

The traffic agency and Mossos will prepare a special deployment to guarantee the security of all drivers and avoid jams across 200 kilometers.