The 2024 spring school holidays start tomorrow (Friday). It is one of the busier holiday periods as families hit the road after winter.

Transport for NSW is advising travellers of the two main highway pinch points depending if you are heading north or south for the holidays.

If you are heading north on the Pacific Motorway through Tugun, plan your trip and allow extra travel time as they are expecting high traffic volumes. Keep in mind there is a Labour Day long weekend in NSW on Monday, October 6, and it is the King's Birthday holiday in Queensland.

"Near the NSW/Queensland border, Tugun is one of four known pinch points for people travelling northbound from Sydney to Queensland on the Pacific Motorway. The busiest days are predicted to be Friday, 27 September, Friday, 4 October and Monday, 7 October, with expected delays of up to 15 minutes.  

"M1 Pacific Motorway upgrades in Queensland could cause significant traffic delays north of the NSW border. While this work will pause during the Labour Day long weekend, heavy congestion is expected on the Pacific Motorway north of the NSW border at most times. 

For those heading south to Sydney, the M1 Pacific Motorway at Beresfield and the Pacific Highway at Hexham are linked via John Renshaw Drive and the New England Highway, forming a key north-south travel route. 

"As a known pinch point, the busiest days for northbound traffic are predicted to be Friday, 27 September and Friday, 4 October. Southbound traffic is predicted to be heavy on Monday, 30 September, 3-4 October (Thursday and Friday) and Friday, 11 October. Monday, 7 October is historically the busiest day at this location, with expected delays of up to 45 minutes. 

"There are multiple projects underway at this location, including the Pacific Highway improvements at Hexham and the M1 Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace, which can impact travel times. A reduced speed of 60 km/h will be implemented along the length of the project and will remain in place throughout the holiday period. 

For more details about predicted delays at Tugun and other known holiday traffic pinch points, see the NSW Holiday and Journey planning website. 

NSW Police will enforce double demerit points for speeding, motorcycle helmet, seatbelt and mobile phone offences from Friday, 4 to Monday, 7 October 2024.  

For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW app, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701. 

For the latest information on Queensland traffic conditions refer to qldtraffic.qld.gov.au or call 13 19 40 to receive updates on road incidents, delays or roadwork in real time.