Travelling around York at any time can be tricky – but Black Friday seems to have made things particularly bad.
Roads to the south of the city were extremely slow this morning, with some drivers reporting near gridlock.
The southbound lane of Fulford Road was at a near standstill for some hours, although the traffic appears to be flowing again now.
There was congestion on the A64 eastbound in the Fulford area too, with National Highways reporting that journeys were taking 40 minutes longer than normal.
The AA is reported “severe delays” on the road.
Similarly, the A19 north of Crockey Hill was very slow. Traffic app Waze reported “standstill traffic” on the road near Fulford.
The linking factor appears to be the Black Friday sale at York Designer Outlet.
The discount shopping centre at Naburn has been holding a Black Friday event all week but there are extra savings there today.
Footwear brand Crocs opened its store today “with 30% off outlet prices”, the outlet said on its social media. Caffe Nero has opened at the centre today too.
Reports coming in suggest that the car park is at near capacity, with many shoppers choosing to leave their cars on the verges of the roads on the approach to the shops.
The message is, if you have to drive in the area, leave plenty of time for your journey.