Barcelona, Catalonia: Almost all expected vehicles, 97% of the total, have left the Barcelona area for the Second Easter holiday, according to the Catalan Traffic Service, Servei Català de Trànsit.
The service said 585,000 cars departed between midday on Friday and 3pm on Saturday, out of an expected 600,000. The heaviest traffic was reported on Friday afternoon, especially on the AP-7 motorway, where delays reached up to 40 kilometres in both directions across several sections.
Officials said the congestion led to several minor accidents. The most affected stretches of the AP-7 were near Llinars del Vallès and Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, with further delays at La Roca del Vallès, Montmeló and El Perelló.
The Second Easter holiday is observed in more than 150 municipalities, mainly in the Barcelona metropolitan area. These include Barcelona, Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Cornellà de Llobregat, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Montcada i Reixac, Ripollet and Mataró.
Traffic authorities expect around 300,000 vehicles to return to the Barcelona metropolitan area between midday and midnight on Monday. A partial return is also forecast for Sunday, with heavier traffic expected on the AP-7, the C-31, the C-33 and the C-58.
For live traffic information and route updates, readers can check the latest Catalonia news and the official Servei Català de Trànsit website. The AP-7 and other main roads are likely to remain busy through the return period.