Traffic over the Lunar New Year holiday this weekend is expected to peak on Friday morning as people head to their hometowns and again on Sunday when they return to the capital region.

According to the transport ministry on Tuesday, over a quarter of travelers are expected to leave the metro area for hometowns in the morning on Friday, the eve of Lunar New Year Day.

It is forecast to take nine hours and ten minutes on the expressway from Seoul to the southeastern port city of Busan, seven hours to the southwestern city of Gwangju and five hours and five minutes to the eastern city of Gangneung.

With around 28 percent of travelers expected to return home Sunday afternoon, it will likely take eight hours and 25 minutes from Busan to Seoul, six hours and 55 minutes from Gwangju, and four hours and 40 minutes from Gangneung.

The ministry forecasts a daily average of five-point-seven million people to be on the roads during the four-day holiday, up two-point-three percent from last year, with over six-point-six million expected to be traveling on Lunar New Year Day on Saturday.

In a bid to ease congestion, the ministry plans to designate over 130 locations on highways and roads for special management, while increasing public transportation operations by more than ten percent. Highway tolls will be exempt from Friday through Monday.