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Get ready for the busiest Memorial Day travel weekend in 20 years. Here’s what to expect

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Get ready for the busiest Memorial Day travel weekend in 20 years. Here’s what to expect

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AAA says travel this Memorial Day weekend will be the busiest in two decades.

In fact, the travel service company expects this particular Memorial Day weekend to be the second busiest since AAA began tracking in 2000.

“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, stated. “We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”  

What to expect on Colorado’s roads: Top spots, closed roads

If you’re venturing out in Colorado, the good news is the Colorado Department of Transportation is pausing all roadwork for the weekend.

Even so, the Colorado Department of Transportation anticipates heavy traffic on Front Range and mountain highways, particularly on westbound Interstate 70 on Friday and Saturday and eastbound on Memorial Day.

CDOT says to expect increased traffic on other mountain roads, like U.S. Highway 34 going to Estes Park and U.S. Highway 36 west of the Denver metro area. Also expect more traffic on U.S. 24 west of Colorado Springs to Buena Vista, and U.S. 50, which rolls from Pueblo through Salida toward Montrose.

With Trail Ridge Road closed through Rocky Mountain National Park, it’s not an option for a Memorial Day joyride or for getting to Grand Lake.

Mount Blue Sky (formerly known as Mount Evans) and Independence Pass remain closed.

And U.S. 50 is closed to through traffic between Gunnison and Montrose due to a bridge closure.

Check cotrip.org for travel alerts in Colorado.

If you’re traveling in the high country, then be aware of, yes, the possibility of snow.

As of Friday morning, it’s snowing on Interstate 70 in the mountains of Summit County.

The National Weather Service in Boulder says it’ll be ending this evening around 9 or 10 p.m., but for now, it’s causing wet and gloomy conditions.

More: Memorial Day weather forecast for Colorado includes possibility of showers

Best and worst times to travel

If you haven’t made it out the door by lunchtime Friday for your Memorial Day car travel, then you might want to consider waiting until dark to avoid the worst of traffic, due to leisure and commuter traffic.

AAA says the best time to travel on Friday is before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m. At the end of the weekend, the best time to travel is after 7 p.m. Monday.

This weekend, AAA expects southbound Interstate 25 from Fort Collins to Denver to be one of the busiest in the nation, with peak congestion expected around 4:15 p.m. Sunday, when it expects it will take 26 minutes longer to get through.

Best times to travel by car

  • Friday: Before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
  • Saturday: Before 1 p.m. or after 6 p.m.
  • Sunday: Before 1 p.m.
  • Monday: After 7 p.m.

Worst times to travel by car

  • Friday: Noon to 7 p.m.
  • Saturday: 2 to 5 p.m.
  • Sunday: 3 to 7 p.m.
  • Monday: 3 to 7 p.m.

What do gas prices look like right now in Colorado?

Gas prices are also slightly lower just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

GasBuddy.com shows that gas prices in Colorado are down 7 cents from a week ago. The average price as of Friday is about $3.28 per gallon of regular unleaded.

In Fort Collins, the GasBuddy app showed prices ranging anywhere from $2.95 to $3.49 per gallon of regular unleaded.

Across Colorado’s Interstate 25 corridor, they ranged from $2.79 in Evans to $3.44 near Colorado City.

Airports are expected to be busier than last year

AAA predicts air travel will be up 4.8% over last year and up 9% compared with pre-pandemic year 2019. Like overall travel, AAA says it’ll be the most crowded Memorial Day weekend at airports since 2005.

You can track flights and flight cancellations in an out of Denver International Airport at FlightAware.com.

More: Looking to avoid driving to DIA from Fort Collins? Here are 3 options

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