Almost half of all major roadworks on England's motorways and major A roads will be completed or suspended for the Bank Holiday weekend, the Highways Agency has announced.

To help drivers make smoother journeys over the busy weekend, 17 sets of roadworks will be completed and a further 18 will be suspended between 6am on Friday 23 May and midnight on Monday 26 May. Roadworks at 44 locations will remain in place for the safety of drivers and their passengers.

The move is part of the Highways Agency's commitment to ease congestion, helping drivers to make their journeys safely and reliably.

Roads Minister Tom Harris said: "The Highways Agency is doing everything it can to help drivers with their bank holiday journeys. As well as removing as many roadworks as possible, the Agency also provides a number of information services that will help drivers heading for an extended break or day out.

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"The roads will be busy, so I urge drivers to plan their journeys using travel information available on websites and radio bulletins, and allow extra time to complete their journey safely."

As well as encouraging drivers to plan their route and check for delays before starting their journey, the Highways Agency is also urging people to make simple checks to their vehicle's tyres, oil and water as well as topping up with fuel. Anyone pulling a caravan, trailer or horse box should make sure they carry out a proper maintenance check; especially if it has been left standing for most of the year. With a simple once-over before setting off, drivers can avoid breaking down and delaying their journey and that of other road users.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers will continue to patrol the motorways 24-hours a day throughout the weekend to deal with incidents and clear them as quickly as possible. They will be supported by our contractor's Incident Support Units and operators in our seven regional control centres who will be monitoring the network to help keep traffic moving smoothly.

(CD/NS)