Crowded roadways expected for Memorial Day weekend, AAA says

AAA is predicting 1.5 million Ohioans will travel more than 50 miles from home during Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of the summer driving season, according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Ohio roadways typically see a 16 percent increase in traffic for the Memorial Day holiday, the fourth largest increase among high-travel holidays during the year, according to the release.

During high-travel holidays, ODOT works with its contractors to reduce the size of work zones and open as many lanes of travel as possible, according to the release. However, with a $2.3 billion investment into Ohio’s roads and bridges this year, it’s likely that travelers will encounter orange barrels. The biggest work zones are on Interstate 71 and I-270 in Columbus, I-75 in Cincinnati, Findlay and Toledo, I-271 in Cleveland, and I-76 in Akron.

Traveling through work zones requires extra attention from drivers. In 2017, there were 4,891 work zone crashes that resulted in 606 minor injuries, 119 serious injuries, and 19 deaths.

ODOT recommends motorists use the OHGO app for access to real-time traffic data, more than 650 traffic cameras and construction information, so you can plan your trip and avoid getting stuck in traffic.

ODOT is also partnering with the Ohio Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies to remind drivers to buckle up this weekend. So far in 2018, 116 people have been killed in crashes where they were not wearing a seat belt.