News
The start of the long weekend saw slow traffic on the A-3, but few jams in Madrid
Operación Salida for the 15 August long weekend began on Friday the 14th with occasional hold-ups in Madrid, but the situation clearly improved as the afternoon went on. The A-3, especially around Rivas-Vaciamadrid and heading towards Valencia, was one of the last spots where traffic remained slow.
During the first hours of the operation there were also problems on the A-2 and the M-40. On the Barcelona motorway, congestion was concentrated between kilometres 19 and 20, between San Fernando de Henares and Torrejón de Ardoz, while on the M-40 there was slow-moving traffic near the connection with the A-5.
The A-3 saw tailbacks between kilometres 14.5 and 16 towards Valencia, coinciding with one of the usual routes out towards Levante. The pressure eased afterwards, making for a much calmer afternoon than expected for one of the busiest weekends of the summer.
The Dirección General de Tráfico activated the special operation at 15:00 on Friday and kept it in place until midnight on Sunday the 16th. For those three days, 5.61 million road journeys were expected across Spain, coinciding with the change of fortnight, holidays, and numerous local festivals.
Friday was considered one of the most sensitive periods. The DGT expected the heaviest traffic between 16:00 and 23:00 on the routes out of major cities and on roads to tourist destinations, second homes, and coastal areas.
To facilitate these journeys, Tráfico deployed speed cameras, helicopters, drones, and unmarked vehicles, as well as providing extra lanes and alternative routes at the most problematic points. Some roadworks and certain types of transport were also restricted to reduce obstacles during peak hours.
In Madrid, however, the start turned out to be less complicated than the initial hold-ups suggested. After the early problems on the A-2, A-3, and M-40, most of the exits became less congested and the route towards Valencia remained one of the most sensitive points of the afternoon.
The day once again confirmed the role of Rivas as one of the key indicators of Madrid traffic during major getaways. When thousands of drivers take the A-3 at the same time, just a few kilometres between the capital and the municipality are enough to concentrate much of the delay before traffic spreads out again on the way to Levante.