MADRID, 5 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) starts up this Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. the second phase of the special Easter Week Traffic operation, in which 9.4 million trips are expected, 2.47% more than last year.

This is the most important phase of this special operation that was launched on Friday, March 31, and will be closed at midnight on Monday, April 10.

The DGT estimates that an average of 1,566,667 daily trips will take place during these days. Since the start of this special Easter Week operation last Friday, and up to midnight on Monday, April 3, 14 people have died on the roads, a figure to which the DGT has insisted on calling for prudence behind the wheel and has remembered the recommendation of zero alcohol, drive at an appropriate speed, take breaks every two hours or 200 kilometers and put on a seatbelt.

The traffic forecasts prepared by Tráfico contemplate that from the early hours of Wednesday afternoon (especially between 3:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.), at which time this second phase begins in all communities except Catalonia and the Valencian Community, cause circulation problems and delays at the exits and entrances of large urban centers, both in the interior of the peninsula and those located on the periphery and coast, moving to the destination areas as the afternoon progresses.

On Thursday, the intense traffic leaving the large urban centers will continue from the early hours of the morning --especially between 08:00 and 14:00-- and in the early hours of the afternoon, this second phase of departure begins in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, Traffic problems are expected in these regions, mainly on the access roads to the coast, those linking coastal towns, as well as those accessing tourist rest areas, especially between 1:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

During Friday the 7th, both in Catalonia and in the Valencian Community, as well as in the rest of the communities, the movements of vehicles in the direction of departure from the large cities will continue in the morning, which may cause high traffic intensity.

With the exception of the first two, this day will mainly be short-distance journeys to leisure and recreation areas close to urban centers. In the afternoon, and throughout the national geography there will also be short-distance movements towards towns where processions are held.

Saturday will be the quietest day of this special operation, with traffic problems in short-distance movements in destinations being able to occur in the morning, especially in accesses to coastal towns and coastal roads, and, in the afternoon, Long-distance return movements that can cause high intensity on some road axes.

On Sunday, the first return of this special operation begins in the communities of Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia, so that throughout the One day traffic management and regulation measures will be installed to favor the entry of vehicles to large urban centers.

The DGT anticipates that traffic problems may occur, especially between 1:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., on the main communication road axes that channel the entire return movement of Holy Week, highlighting the intensity of the general interest network, highways and motorways, as well as the highways of coastal and coastal areas and, already late in the afternoon, the accesses of the large urban centers.

Finally, on Monday 10 the return will take place in the autonomous communities in which this day is a holiday (Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Navarra, the Basque Country and La Rioja) which will cause traffic problems in a period similar to that of the previous day. (from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.) on the main road axes of these communities, as well as on the access roads of the neighboring provinces.

In the rest of the communities there will also be return movements since, in some of them, it is not until Tuesday when school and university activities resume.

For this device, the DGT has technical means such as fixed and mobile speed control radars, helicopters and drones, as well as cameras and camouflaged vans to control the use of mobile phones and seat belts, as well as human agents. from the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, civil servants from the Traffic Management Centers, helicopter patrols and personnel in charge of maintaining equipment and installing road measures--.

In addition, during these days, Traffic will implement traffic management and regulation measures such as the installation of reversible lanes that facilitate the movement in or out of urban centers depending on the needs, the stoppage of works and the restrictions, both to certain goods vehicles, in specific sections and hours, such as sports events that may hinder the fluidity of circulation.