22/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 22/08/2024 23:31
OLYMPIA - Before the return of yellow school buses and all things pumpkin spice, many people plan summer festivities over Labor Day. The Washington State Department of Transportation encourages people to make travel plans now for the popular three-day weekend. Congestion is expected on most major routes. Travelers should also be alert of wildfire activity and road closures affecting travel plans.
To make the most of your weekend, consult the agency's holiday travel charts to determine the best (and worst) times to go - whether by ferry, vehicle, bus, rail, foot, bicycle or plane. This year's charts include US 2, Interstate 90 and I-5 between Lacey and Tacoma as well as Bellingham to the United States-Canada border.
Most construction will be paused over the holiday weekend to help limit congestion. WSDOT recommends people go early or late and give themselves plenty of extra time. Crashes or emergency road repairs also can add to travel times.
Travelers can "know before they go" by using WSDOT tools and tips, whether they're traveling across town or across the Evergreen State:
Most state highway construction work is suspended through the holiday weekend - including Monday, Sept. 2 - to ease congestion. Please stay alert for new lane shifts or other work zone staging areas that may remain in place. And please give any emergency repair crews plenty of space to work safely.
No construction is planned on I-90 from Friday, Aug. 30, through to Tuesday, Sept. 3. However, the usual holiday increase in traffic volumes means travelers should expect delays, especially eastbound on Friday and westbound on Monday (see charts for more detail). Text message alerts about significant delays are available by texting the word START to 85107.
In the Puget Sound region, weekend toll rates will be in effect on Monday, Sept. 2, on the State Route 520 bridge and SR 99 tunnel. The I-405 express toll lanes will be free and open to all drivers on the Monday holiday. Out-of-town travelers, including those using rental cars, can learn about toll roads and temporary account payment options on the Good To Go! visitors page.
People boarding a state ferry by vehicle should prepare for long waits. Peak travel times on most routes are expected to be westbound or island-bound Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 29-31, and eastbound or off-island Saturday, Aug. 31, through Monday, Sept. 2. Customers can bypass vehicle lines by traveling as a walk-on passenger and usually board much faster.
Travelers making a trip by train, personal aircraft or bus also should plan ahead to avoid holiday delays: