Date:
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Contact:
Alice Fiman, WSDOT Communications, (360) 705-7080 (Olympia)
Holiday weekend travel can be hectic and Thanksgiving weekend always proves to be one of the heaviest highway travel weekends. On Wednesday and Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, it’s important to give yourself a little extra time to travel.
To help plan your Thanksgiving weekend travel, WSDOT has charted the typical traffic pattern based on historical data. Remember, most urban areas will also be busier than usual.
Drivers can see the peak travel days and times and make informed decisions on when they should travel on four major Washington highways where holiday travel seems to make a large impact:
On Friday, hundreds of thousands will be heading out to area retail centers. This year, a strong Canadian dollar may bring more Canadian shoppers into Western Washington.
Drivers should always be aware that inclement weather or traffic incidents can severely affect traffic conditions.
You are advised to check the WSDOT travel alerts and slowdowns page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/ before you leave. Drivers can access the Seattle area traffic flow map, ferry schedules, mountain pass reports, and current travel times from their PDAs or cell phones by logging on to www.wsdot.wa.gov/small/. At www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/weather, drivers can look at weather forecasts and road temperatures throughout the state.
Real time traffic and weather information is available by simply dialing 5-1-1 from most phones. Updated every few minutes, 5-1-1 provides updated traffic and travel information and mountain pass reports.
For information on WSDOT’s winter programs, car emergency kits and ways to prepare your vehicle for winter, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/winter.
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