Nearly 800 miles of roadworks will be cleared in a bid to avoid Christmas travel chaos, the transport secretary has said.
Grant Shapps said some rail upgrade works would also be postponed in Thursday's announcement.
The government's coronavirus measures will be temporarily eased for five days over Christmas, allowing three households to mix in a bubble and travel to other parts of the country from 23 to 27 December.
The cabinet minister said: "With many people carefully considering whether to travel to see loved ones this Christmas, we're taking steps to try to ease journeys.
"Clearing 778 miles of roadworks and postponing rail upgrade works will ease congestion, minimise disruption and allow extra services to run.
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"That action is backed by scrapping the admin fees for changing advance rail tickets, ensuring a strong staff presence to help people on their way."
Mr Shapps urged travellers to closely consider their journeys and to plan and book ahead.
He added: "Be patient, and be considerate of fellow passengers - and particularly staff who have worked so hard all year - by following the guidance carefully, including keeping space and wearing a face covering on public transport."
Measures aimed at easing travel disruption will be published by the Department for Transport this week, following the appointment of Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy as Christmas travel tsar.
Mr Shapps said he has asked Sir Peter to "carry out a rigorous assessment" alongside transport operators so people can see their loved ones safely.
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The announcement comes after an AA survey revealed that one in four drivers (24%) are planning a journey by car over the festive period.
The research suggests there will be 7.9 million motorists on the road this Christmas, compared with around 17 million last year.
Of the 16,500 drivers surveyed in the poll, 48% claimed they were planning a Christmas journey via main roads or motorways on 24 December - indicating Christmas Eve would be the busiest day for road travel.
And the last Saturday before Christmas - 19 December - is expected to be the worst day for shopping traffic.
Congestion hotspots are likely to be near shopping centres close to motorways, such as Cribbs Causeway, Bristol; Bluewater, Kent; and the Trafford Centre, Manchester.
AA president Edmund King welcomed the "efforts by Highways England to remove some 750 miles of roadworks on main roads and motorways".
He added: "On balance, despite the reduced use of public transport and the five days of festive freedom, we don't predict a total free-for-all on the roads."
