During the festive period, the capital experiences significant traffic buildup as residents and guests travel to celebrate and prepare for the holidays. The city’s Center for Traffic Management outlines when congestion tends to begin and when peak rush hours typically occur, helping drivers plan ahead.
Road networks show early signs of strain starting mid-December. In the most intense days, traffic density rises sharply, with the heaviest volumes usually observed in the evenings. On a particularly heavy day, the number of vehicles on Moscow streets can reach millions, underscoring the scale of the city’s holiday movement.
Major routes leading to shopping districts, entertainment hubs, and key commercial corridors around the thirds transport ring and the Moscow Ring Road often become bottlenecked. The influx of both city residents and visitors from other regions contributes to slower travel times and longer queues at peak hours.
Overall congestion is anticipated to increase further around the end of December. The pattern this year mirrors typical holiday behavior: more people staying in the city for the winter holidays rather than traveling abroad, which adds to the density of traffic on most days.
- Drive can be read in Telegram.
Note: Traffic management authorities continually monitor conditions and issue updates to help motorists adjust routes and travel times.
Photo: Alexey Filippov/TASS
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