Over 20,000 more vehicles than usual are expected on the roads around the Bay of Plenty and Waikato this Easter weekend.

Traffic is expected to triple going to the Coromandel.

The NZ Transport Agency urges holiday makers to plan ahead for long weekends to stay safe and avoid delays.

Transport Agency's regional performance manager Karen Boyt said they are expecting thousands to hit the roads this weekend.

"Last Easter traffic on State Highway 25A in the Coromandel increased by 77 per cent and other roads such as State Highway 2 (SH2) increased by more than 40 per cent.

"State Highway 29 (SH29) over the Kaimai Range went up by almost a third when compared to a regular summer day," she said.

They have developed a map to show the peak holiday traffic times, which can be accessed at www.nzta.govt.nz/hotspots

Traffic hot spots from NZTA
From 3pm this afternoon traffic is expected to build on state highways around the Bay of Plenty.

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It's likely to remain heavy all of Friday, especially on State Highway 1 and State Highway 2, 25 and 25A to Coromandel.

"Weather will play a big role in determining the busiest peaks for people returning home again, as we saw over the Christmas holiday period on the Coromandel Peninsula but based on previous years, traffic is heaviest from mid-morning Monday and will remain busy through the day," Ms Boyt said.