YORK, Maine — If you are planning to hit the road for the family barbecue, the beach, or fireworks this week, well buckle up!
The Maine Turnpike Authority had a busy start ahead of the holiday week with an estimated 700,000 transactions at tolls on the turnpike between Friday and Saturday alone.
Officials are expecting a steady increase in the number of travelers for the 4th of July week—up 1.7% from 2018, which was the busiest year in the turnpike's history.
With lower gas prices, AAA said it expects a record-breaking 41 million drivers to travel nationwide this holiday.
The national average of $2.66 a gallon is also now the average in Maine. That is down about 16-cents from last year at this time.
Around Maine’s busiest gateway at the York tolls, officials are asking drivers to be aware of construction zones in the area.
“We ask that motorists drive safely and pay special attention when traveling through work zones as lanes may be narrowed and speed limits are lower,” Maine Turnpike Authority spokesperson Erin Courtney said.
The worst times to travel will be on Wednesday night and mid-day Friday.