CAROLINE CULOT Motorists are advised to travel early in the morning or late in the evening to escape jams over this weekend, dubbed the “big getaway”..

CAROLINE CULOT

Motorists are advised to travel early in the morning or late in the evening to escape jams over this weekend, dubbed the “big getaway”.

And from Monday, there will be an added troublespot in Norwich with improvement work due to last six weeks.

There will be some traffic- signal switch-offs and lane closures on the Boundary junction through the holidays to September 4.

Upgrading of traffic signals and resurfacing is being carried out.

The weekend heralds a mass exodus as families leave for holidays either at home or abroad. AA roadwatch and police were expecting congestion today, tomorrow and on Monday on all major routes in East Anglia.

A spokesman from AA roadwatch said the weekend was being treated as a bank holiday with an expected 18 million cars on the UK's roads.

“Is there a good time to travel? Well, probably either after 11pm or before 5am,” the spokesman said.

Norfolk police reported no major problems yesterday as the schools broke up.

One city-centre route, Bracondale, has been closed from Monday to traffic going into Norwich while EDF Energy Networks carries out work on an underground cable. The road is closed to city-bound traffic between Martineau Lane roundabout and the traffic lights at King Street.

Traffic is able to travel out of the city along Bracondale to County Hall, and can turn left or right into Bracondale from King Street.

Traffic travelling into the city from the Martineau Lane roundabout (including those leaving County Hall) is being diverted around Martineau Lane, Barrett Road, Lakenham Road, Ipswich Road, St Stephen's Road and Queens Road.

The work will run for up to two weeks to 5pm on Friday.