Traffic on the I-95 rolls past Penns Landing, in Philadelphia, PA, on October 23, 2019. Authorities announced a $225 Million project to redevelop the area sandwiched between the waterfront and Front St into a public park covering the Interstate I-95. …
PHILADELPHIA - If you thought last year's holiday traffic was a bumper-to-bumper nightmare, brace yourself. AAA is predicting that this will be the busiest Memorial Day for travel on record.
Before you fire up the GPS and willingly merge into the Jersey Shore gridlock, here is your definitive guide to the best and worst times to hit the road this long weekend.
Best and worst travel times
What we know:
An estimated 45 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from May 21 to 25 this year, with 39.1 million expected to travel by car.
Experts predict that drivers will experience the greatest congestion during the afternoon on Thursday, May 21, and Friday, May 22, as afternoon rush hour mixes with the mass exodus of weekend vacationers.
Best times to travel by car:
- Thursday, May 21: After 9 p.m.
- Friday, May 22: Before 11 a.m.
- Saturday, May 23: Before 11 a.m.
- Sunday, May 24: Minimal traffic
- Monday, May 25: Before 10 a.m.
Worst times to travel by car
- Thursday, May 21: Noon to 9 p.m.
- Friday, May 22: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Saturday, May 23: Noon to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, May 24: Minimal traffic
- Monday, May 25: Noon to 5 p.m.
Philly travel
Dig deeper:
The absolute worst time to escape the Philadelphia area is Thursday, May 21, at 4:15 p.m. Travelers heading toward Rehoboth Beach on I-95 and Route 13 could face a 66% increase in traffic.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by AAA.