PennDOT warns of ‘increased traffic’ this Memorial Day weekend. See projections
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- PennDOT will suspend all work impacting open lanes from 3 p.m. Thursday to 11 p.m. Monday.
- PennDOT projects a 2% rise to 2.18 million motorists on the Turnpike this weekend.
- Friday will be the busiest day with 706,000 travelers, 33% more than Saturday.
Despite rising gas prices, PennDOT is expecting increased traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike this Memorial Day weekend and, to help ease that congestion, construction crews will temporarily suspend all work impacting open lanes.
According to PennDOT, such work on the Turnpike will be suspended starting 3 p.m. Thursday and continuing through 11 p.m. Monday. The temporary reprieve from construction comes as the agency projects a 2% increase in travelers on the PA Turnpike this weekend when compared to last year, for a total of 2.18 million motorists.
Friday is expected to be the most congested day, as 33% more travelers are expected on the Turnpike that day compared to the next-busiest day of the four-day weekend. Here’s a breakdown on projected traffic volumes on the Turnpike, based on PennDOT’s data:
- Friday, May 22: 706,000 projected travelers
- Saturday, May 23: 530,000
- Sunday, May 24: 480,000
- Monday, May 25: 463,000
- 4-Day Total: 2,179,000
PennDOT also expects both its personnel and the state police to have increased patrols on the Turnpike this weekend.
“With a high number of motorists traveling on the PA Turnpike this weekend, the PA Turnpike maintains its dedication to providing a safe and efficient travel experience for all and urges everyone to drive responsibly and adhere to all traffic regulations,” PennDOT wrote in a news release.
For those in central Pennsylvania traveling around the commonwealth this weekend, PennDOT highlighted at least one traffic advisory on the western end of the state. Those heading westbound from Somerset (Exit 110) to New Stanton (Exit 75) on Sunday could face significantly slower traffic from 2-4 p.m. During that time, a veterans organization is holding an annual 300-vehicle motorcade from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., to the Flight 93 National Memorial, and the motorcade is planning a stop at the New Stanton Service Plaza around 3 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, PennDOT encourages residents to check conditions on those roadways and more than 40,000 others by visiting 511PA.com or following @511PAStateColl on X.
