Drivers urged to plan ahead for big travel weekend

EUGENE, Ore. — As some 600,000 Oregonians head out of town for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, as projected by Triple A, safety is a top priority for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

ODOT says most drivers will hit the road Thursday en route to their holiday destinations and return on Monday night guaranteeing congestion on local roadways.

Central Oregon is expected to be a hot spot for travelers, says Kacey Davey with ODOT.

This is going to be a very busy holiday travel weekend, and a lot of people are going to be driving to get to their destinations. So what we’re expecting is that a lot of our main highways — I-5, I-84, and any of the east/west routes across the mountains are going to be particularly busy,” said Kacey Davey, . “A lot of people are going to be heading over the mountains, so if you decide to hit the mountain pass and come over Willamette Pass, expect extra busy traffic.

ODOT says drivers, including those heading to local airports, will want to prepare more than just extra patience for the increased traffic.

“We have different tools that folks can use to see what the roads are going to look like where they’re heading. So we have TripCheck.com. You can use the live cameras to see not only what the weather conditions are but to see how heavy traffic is. And also carry a kit in your car in case you’re delayed, so extra food and water, have a phone charger in case you’re stuck in traffic or stuck behind a crash on the highway,” said Davey.

For those staying local, Davey encourages finding ways to reduce the number of cars on the road and reduce the risk of accidents by going by bus, train, or even bicycle when possible.

Triple A anticipates this Memorial Day weekend will be the second busiest for travel on record with close to 44 million Americans traveling 50 miles or more from home.