If you’re traveling this weekend, expect a lot of company out on the roads. After largely staying home last summer, many Americans are hitting the road for the Fourth of July weekend.
Beth Mosher with Triple-A Wisconsin says they’re predicting a nearly 17-percent increase in the number of holiday travelers nationally and a nearly 20-percent increase for those in the Badger State. About 750,000 Wisconsinites are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home.
Mosher says many Americans are making longer trips than usual as well. She says the average traveler will go at least 600 miles round trip.
The improving economy is the likely reason people are taking advantage of what will be a four-day weekend for many Americans. Mosher says people are growing more willing to spend disposable income on vacations, rather than holding onto it because of job instability.
Also this weekend, Wisconsin travelers are getting a bit of a break on road construction. The state DOT says construction projects across the state will suspend work at noon today. However, some areas of the state will still have lane closures. Those projects include I-94 east of Madison and south of Milwaukee, along with Highways 41 near Oshkosh and 172 at Green Bay.