eastbound traffic

Meaning

The flow of vehicles traveling toward the east on a road, highway, or bridge. This collective noun phrase is standard in traffic reports, radio broadcasts, and navigation apps to warn drivers of delays or congestion.

Examples

• Eastbound traffic on the bridge is crawling due to construction work.

  Eastbound traffic on the bridge is crawling due to construction work.

• Commuters should expect delays as eastbound traffic is backed up for three miles.

  Commuters should expect delays as eastbound traffic is backed up for three miles.

• The new toll plaza was designed to help ease eastbound traffic during morning rush hour.

  The new toll plaza was designed to help ease eastbound traffic during morning rush hour.

• A minor accident is currently affecting eastbound traffic on Highway 50.

  A minor accident is currently affecting eastbound traffic on Highway 50.

• We decided to take a detour because the eastbound traffic was at a complete standstill.

  We decided to take a detour because the eastbound traffic was at a complete standstill.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The eastbound traffics are very heavy today.

  ✓ The eastbound traffic is very heavy today.

  'Traffic' is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb ('is', not 'are') and cannot be pluralized.

• ✗ The east direction traffic is blocked.

  ✓ The eastbound traffic is blocked.

  'Eastbound traffic' is the natural, established collocation used in English. 'East direction traffic' is wordy and unnatural.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Radio reports say that ___ is backed up all the way to exit 14.

  💡 Cars traveling toward the east.

  Show answer

  eastbound traffic

• To avoid the heavy ___, we took a scenic route through the northern hills.

  💡 The flow of vehicles heading east.

  Show answer

  eastbound traffic