Travel Will Be Heavy Over 4th Of July Weekend

It’s expected that 41 million people will go on vacation this Fourth of July weekend, the busiest travel holiday of the summer.

High gas prices are not likely to hold people back from traveling. The American Automobile Association (AAA) says that about 872,000 people in Wisconsin will travel by plane, train, and boat, but mostly by car.

That’s more travelers than this year’s Memorial Day weekend. Moreover, the figure is 2 percent higher compared to last year’s Fourth of July weekend.

AAA Wisconsin spokeswoman Pam Moen said that, in fact, it’s the most travel they’ve seen since before the recession.

“People are feeling better about the economy and their personal finances and they’re really looking forward to getting out there and enjoying a nice, long Fourth of July weekend,” she said.

Most major Wisconsin highway construction will halt at noon on Thursday and will resume Monday morning.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) project services manager Don Greuel says even through construction is stopping for a few days, drivers still need to be cautious since lanes can be narrower and can shift suddenly.

“Drivers need to slow down, pay attention, (and not) follow too closely,” he said. “Rear-end collisions are typically the most frequent type of crash during holiday weekends and so forth.”

Greuel said the heaviest travel times will be between noon and 8 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday.

According to the DOT, four people died in traffic accidents last Fourth of July weekend.