Wednesday officially begins the holiday- for some- and AAA is warning there will be a lot of traffic on the roads.
Nearly 49 million Americans are making plans to honor the red, white, and blue with an Independence Day getaway this year. This is the highest figure on record since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000. Overall travel volume for the holiday is expected to rise 4.1 percent over last year, with an additional 1.9 million people planning road trips and other vacations to celebrate America’s birthday.
For the record-high 41.4 million Americans who will travel by automobile this Independence Day, INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, predicts drivers could face delays as much as four times a normal commute, with Wednesday, July 3 the worst day on the roads.
AAA East Central spokesman Jim Garrity says there are a couple reasons why travel will be up this year.
“The strong economy and lower gas prices are a perfect combination, sparking more Americans to travel and celebrate the holiday with family and friends,” Jim Garrity, AAA East Central spokesman, said.
PennDOT considers the Independence Day travel period to run through Sunday.