Charlotte Metro 4th Of July Traffic: The Worst Time To Leave

CHARLOTTE, NC — With lower gas prices and a four-day weekend for many workers, a record-breaking number of North Carolina drivers are expected to fill the roads this Fourth of July holiday, and they'll be watched by an increased number of patrol officers. The auto group AAA expects a record 49 million people to travel this week for the holiday, up 4.1 percent from last year. In North Carolina, families will likely travel to fireworks shows as well as beaches to cool off for the holiday.

If you're one of those people planning to hit the road, you may want to avoid the highway on Wednesday, which is expected to be the worst travel day on roads for most of the U.S. Friday will also see higher congestion, between 10 a.m. and noon. That's when traffic will be at its worst, as it's expected to be 3.4 times heavier than usual, AAA officials said.

North Carolina Highway Patrol is joining forces with local law enforcement across the state for 2019 Operation Firecracker and will be conducting checkpoints and saturation patrols statewide targeting impaired driving. In 2018, state troopers responded to 1,553 crashes during the July 4th weekend, 15 of which involved fatalities.

“As residents and visitors travel to and from our state, our members will be prepared to provide top-tier service and coverage on our roadways,” Colonel Glenn McNeill Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol, said in a statement. “Loss of life at the hands of an impaired driver on North Carolina’s highways is unacceptable.”

Lower gas prices and a strong economy are part of the reason more drivers are expected to be on the road this year, AAA said in a news release. The national average for gas prices was at $2.66, 19 cents cheaper than 2018, and that number was expected to drop further into the summer. In North Carolina, the state average for a gallon of gas is $2.56, which is 11 cents cheaper than last year’s holiday.

“As Independence Day approaches, it’s time for the much loved family road trip and this year will be one for the record books, with more Americans than ever planning vacations,” said Paula Twidale, vice president at AAA Travel. “This holiday builds on the strong travel demand seen for Memorial Day, and with schools now out of session across the country, families coast to coast are eager to travel.”

Some of the top travel destinations travelers are heading to this year: Orlando, Florida; Seattle; Las Vegas; New York; Boston; and Chicago.

Patch staffers Dan Hampton and Deb Belt contributed to this report.