Heading out for Labor Day? Expect to run into ‘plenty of traffic’ by land or sea
Labor Day arrives Monday, meaning that many South Sound residents are gearing up for an action-packed three-day weekend.
Metallica and the Bumbershoot music fest are rocking up in Seattle, not to mention the Washington State Fair is kicking off in Puyallup.
Take heed, drivers: You’ll want to allow lots of time to get where you’re going.
“Yes, there will be plenty of traffic this Labor Day weekend,” confirmed Tina Werner, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The state has generally paused most of its construction projects for the holiday weekend to help relieve congestion, she told The News Tribune. That said, delays are all but certain.
“Congestion is expected on most major routes,” WSDOT noted in an Aug. 22 news release. “Travelers should also be alert of wildfire activity and road closures affecting travel plans.”
WSDOT encourages folks to remain patient, Werner said. Traffic has returned to pre-pandemic volumes, so it’ll likely be a rough go.
Werner advises people to carpool or take public transit, and to check out the department’s holiday-travel charts showing the best and worst travel times.
Those charts feature predictions for Interstate 5: Lacey to Tacoma and Bellingham to the U.S.-Canada border. There are also forecasts for I-90 between North Bend and Cle Elum and US 2 between Skykomish and Stevens Pass.
“Summer is coming to an end, so our normal Labor Day weekend travel charts have been rebranded as festive *pumpkin spice* Labor Day weekend travel charts,” WSDOT wrote Thursday in a post on X (Twitter), along with a picture featuring said charts on a towering pumpkin-spice latte.
What about taking the ferry on Labor Day weekend?
Werner pointed out that ferry-goers should expect to see “heavy traffic and long waits getting onto an island” from Thursday through Saturday. Return trips will also be congested from Sunday through Tuesday.
Word to the wise: Make sure your ferry reservations are locked down and ready to go, she said.
Washington State Ferries provided an estimate of how many riders are anticipated.
“We’re expecting 300,000+ people aboard our ferries Th 8/29-M 9/2,” the agency wrote Thursday on X. “#LaborDayWeekend travel crowds will create long vehicle boarding lines & wait times.”
How can I monitor Labor Day traffic?
The state transportation department has a free mobile app for those who want to keep tabs on the latest travel information, Werner said. WSDOT also posts updates to social media, plus travel tips and tricks.
Even though construction has largely been halted this weekend, Werner said to look out for accidents or emergency road repairs. It may be a holiday for most, but the department’s crews still have to work around the clock.
“Please buckle up, never drive under the influence and give yourself plenty of time this Labor Day weekend — wherever your travels may take you,” she added.
This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 2:29 PM.
