PORTLAND, Maine — Travelers looking for a getaway for Labor Day weekend packed their bags and hit the roads across Maine and nationwide to get in the last bits of summery weather. By Monday evening, thousands were on the roads again, heading back home after the holiday that's viewed as the last hurrah of summer for many.
"It’s going to be busy," AAA Northern New England Director of Public Affairs Pat Moody said about the holiday travel. "We're going to see about a 9 percent increase in domestic travel this year over last year."
AAA said the surge in travel is due, in part, to lower travel costs. This is especially being felt at the pump. Right now, the national average price of gasoline is around $3.33. It's nearly 50 cents lower than last Labor Day when the average was $3.81.
"When it comes to holiday travel, we know it's going to be congested," Moody told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Congestion was seen on the Maine Turnpike Monday afternoon. Turnpike cameras showed bumper-to-bumper southbound traffic at the York Toll Plaza early Monday afternoon.
The Maine Turnpike Authority projected more than 1.1 million people would be on the Turnpike this holiday. It's the most since 2019.
It's not just travelers on the roads this Labor Day. Maine State Police were out patrolling, too.
"We'll be patrolling in marked and unmarked state police cruisers," Lt. Aaron Turcotte with Maine State Police said. "If you're not seeing a lot of cruisers on the interstate, it could be because we have the plane up monitoring speed and traffic for erratic, reckless driving behaviors. We are out there in full force."
Turcotte also wanted to remind drivers to leave with a full tank of gas and be safe on the roads.
"Make sure you wear a seatbelt," Turcotte said. "Seatbelts save lives."
It you're not planning to head back home until Tuesday, AAA said the best time to be on the roads is after 1 p.m.