Ga. Memorial Day travel expected to pass pre-pandemic level

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Pack your patience if you’re traveling for Memorial Day weekend, because you won’t be alone.

AAA projects 1.3 million Georgians will be traveling 50 miles or more from home this year – 86,000 more people than last year, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers.

“People are comfortable, and it looks like some of the concerns we saw around the pandemic are erased. Vendors, companies, cruises have now removed restrictions,” said Garrett Townsend, a spokesman for AAA in Georgia. “This is going to be a very busy summer for traveling.”

Most of those Georgia travelers will be driving – an estimated 1.2 million of them, which is 70,000 more than last year.

Georgia State Patrol troopers and other law enforcement say officer will be out in force.

IN THE AIR:

• About 114,000 Georgians are forecast to fly for Memorial Day weekend, which is 12,000 more than last year’s holiday. If you’re going through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, expect it to be extra full. It’s the world’s busiest airport, with more than 2 million people expected to pass through between Thursday and Wednesday.

Troopers expect the travel to start ramping up on Friday.

Sgt. Richard Sikes of the Georgia State Patrol says they’ll be checking the main and the back roads.

“We’ll have heavy enforcement on the interstates, because that’s where a lot of people generally go. But we’ll also be in the cities and counties,” Sikes said.

He says Friday traffic often includes people speeding to their destination and others who’ve already started drinking. He says troopers will be looking for drunk drivers and more.

“So we look for the usuals – seat belts, texting while driving. But also distracted driving with anything,” Sikes said. “We want everybody to be safe.”

He says to give yourself enough time to get where you’re going without speeding. And don’t try to drive home if you’ve been drinking, whether it’s a long distance or just across town.

He says the agency will have every available trooper on the roads statewide through late Monday night.

To help make it easier on drivers, the Georgia Department of Transportation will suspend many construction-related lane closures on Georgia interstates and state highways from noon Friday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.

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