Labor Day 2019: Worst Travel Times Around DC Area, Virginia

WASHINGTON, DC — With the end of summer upon us, some families are planning to travel for their last beach trips and family picnics of the season. Holidays are infamous for increased traffic, especially in the DC area. For that reason it's crucial to know which times to avoid hitting the roads on Labor Day weekend.

In Virginia, the times to avoid are the days in between the weekend. The Virginia Department of Transportation expects moderate to heavy congestion between noon and 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 and Monday, Sept. 2. In addition, routes to Virginia Beach are likely to be congested mid-morning to evening on Saturday, Aug. 31.

In Northern Virginia, VDOT will lift HOV restrictions on I-66 and I-395, as well as lift rush hour tolls on the 66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway on Sept. 2. In Hampton Roads, HOV restrictions and express lanes tolls will be lifted on I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV Diamond Lanes and 64 Express Lanes on Sept. 2.

For local traffic heading to Virginia Beach, VDOT suggests taking the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel instead of the I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. Drivers heading to Outer Banks are also encouraged to use I-664 and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel.

VDOT has a travel-trends map showing congestion by date and time. The projected congestion is based on past Labor Day weekends.

RELATED: Increased DUI Enforcement Runs Through Labor Day In Virginia

Transurban, the private toll operator of 95 Express Lanes, has its own projections calling for a traffic surge as early as Wednesday, Aug. 28. Based on last year's travel patterns, the busiest travel times on Interstate 95 in Virginia are between Wednesday, Aug. 28 and Friday, Aug. 30. According to Transurban, the best times on I-95 are Wednesday, Aug. 28 and Thursday, Aug. 29 before 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m., as well as Friday, Aug. 30 before 12 p.m. and after 8 p.m.

The 95 Express Lanes start on 395 before the Springfield interchange and continue to Stafford. On Monday, Sept. 2, the Express Lanes will run in the northbound direction all day. Transurban said drivers using the toll lanes saved an average of 28 minutes during busy travel times last Labor Day weekend.

For those traveling across the Bay Bridge in Maryland to other beaches, the Maryland Transportation Authority expects 440,000 vehicles will travel across the bridge between Aug. 30 and Sept. 2. The best times to travel across the Bay Bridge are: Thursday, Aug. 29 before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 30 before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 31 before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 1 before 8 a.m. and after midnight; and Monday, Sept. 2 before 10 a.m. and after midnight.

AAA has not released nationwide travel projections for Labor Day in the past several years. Based on the other two summer holidays, DC area residents can expect busy conditions. An estimated 960,800 DC area residents traveled on the roads during this year's Memorial Day holiday, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. For Fourth of July, around 1,059,000 DC area residents were on the roads.

"During the Memorial Day holiday weekend, we witnessed the second-highest travel volume for that holiday since AAA began tracking holiday travel volume dating back to 2000,"said John B. Townsend II, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "During the Fourth of July holiday weekend, America experienced the highest travel volume recorded for the Fourth of July period. Those opting to travel during the Labor Day holiday weekend can expect plenty of company in the skies and plenty of competition along every highway mile marker."

Resources to know on the road

• 511 Virginia real-time traffic conditions: Download the app, visit 511Virginia.org, or call 511 from any phone.
• 511 Maryland real-time traffic conditions: Visit MD511.org or call 511
• Bay Bridge traffic conditions in Maryland: Call 1-877-BAYSPAN (229-7726) or visit baybridge.com
• Traffic updates and toll prices for 95 Express Lanes: Visit ExpressLanes.com