HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Triple A is predicting a record number of people will travel for Memorial Day weekend. 45.1 million people are set to travel, and 2.6 million of them are Floridians, so highways and airports are bound to be busy.
Florida is a top travel destination for out-of-state travelers, so AAA said we can expect more congestion around the beaches and theme parks. If you plan to drive this weekend, hit the roads early to avoid traffic. AAA said the afternoon and early evening hours are when we will see the most congestion.
WATCH AAA predicts record number of people will travel for Memorial Day weekend
Mark Jenkins with AAA said, “The roads are definitely going to be busy, you’ll likely see congestion pick up on Thursday and well through the weekend.”
He explained that last Memorial Day weekend, AAA roadside technicians responded to more than 300,000 calls, so they are advising drivers to do a vehicle check before hitting the road.
The top things to check are your tire pressure, oil level, and brake conditions.
Gas prices are down by about 50 cents compared to last year, which may explain the record number of people hitting the roads, but the airports are bound to be busy, too.
Tampa International Airport expects about 300,000 passengers to pass through between Friday and Monday. If you are heading to the airport, give yourself extra time to get through security and book parking ahead of time to ensure a spot in the airport lot.
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