Even though Winter keeps missing the memo, this upcoming weekend marks the unofficial start of Summer. Memorial Day is here once again, and AAA has projected a record-breaking number of travelers. An estimated 43 million Americans, including 785,000 Coloradans are expected to hit the roads. If these estimates come to pass, this upcoming weekend will see the largest ever travel volume for a Memorial Day Weekend, and the second largest overall travel volume of any weekend ever!
Summer has yet to hit the I-70 Mountain Corridor, which is bad news for some, but great news for skiers (Breck closing weekend, A-Basin open into June; Aspen Mountain reopened for this weekend only!), and good news for I-70 travelers! While there will be heavier than normal traffic volumes, and delays are likely – this weekend is not expected to be the start of Summer peak time congestion patterns – and speaking relatively – traffic will not be that bad. Here are some valuable travel tips:
-Travel at off peak times! Higher traffic volumes will be spread more evenly through the weekend, but there will be peak times to avoid. Thursday and Friday afternoons will be especially bad, as commuters mix with early holiday travelers. Check out our Travel Forecast (posted Wednesday night this week) to learn the best and worst times to travel!
-Look before you drive! With higher traffic volumes and the introduction of Summer campers and trailers to the roadways, incidents can happen, and they can eat up your valuable weekend time. Check the real time road info at Cotrip.org before hopping on the highway
-As we approach Summer, traveler behavior (even during long weekends) becomes very dependent on and responsive to weather. Make sure you up-to-date
This weekend should be sunny, warm(ish), and dry(ish), all across our beautiful state. Get out there, be safe, and enjoy that great long weekend! Please allow for extra travel time, keep your eye on the weather, and check travel conditions to know before you go.