Drivers heading home after the Finados extended holiday face busy stretches across the Vale do Paraíba and surrounding region, according to a survey by g1 of the times when highway operators and the São Paulo state road department (DER-SP) expect the heaviest traffic.
The survey covers the Tamoios (SP-099), Presidente Dutra (BR-116), Ayrton Senna/Carvalho Pinto (SP-070), Dom Pedro I (SP-065), Fernão Dias (BR-381), Oswaldo Cruz (SP-125) and Floriano Rodrigues Pinheiro (SP-123) highways.
On the Tamoios, which links São José dos Campos to Caraguatatuba, heavy traffic is expected from 8am as vehicles leave the coast and head inland, continuing through much of the day. The operator suggests drivers make the trip in the early hours of the day. An estimated 145,000 vehicles are expected to use the highway over the holiday.
The Presidente Dutra is expected to see its peak between 1pm and 3pm, with around 1.4 million vehicles passing along the road during the long holiday weekend.
The Ayrton Senna/Carvalho Pinto corridor is forecast to be heavily used between 11am and 7pm, with high traffic volumes continuing until Tuesday morning (3 November). About 612,000 vehicles are expected to travel the stretch over the three holiday days.
On the Dom Pedro I, operator Rota das Bandeiras expects 500,000 vehicles during the holiday and forecasts a peak between 3pm and 9pm.
Fernão Dias operator Motiva Minas_SP estimates 791,000 vehicles will use the highway over the holiday, with traffic expected to intensify between 8am and noon.
For the Oswaldo Cruz, Floriano Rodrigues Pinheiro and Rio-Santos (SP-055) state highways, DER-SP recommends that drivers travel between midnight and 2pm, when traffic is lightest. Together, the three highways are expected to carry more than 590,000 vehicles during the holiday.
Sources: G1.