MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – You may have seen it already, but Wisconsin highways are expected to be busier than last year for the Memorial Day weekend.
The state’s AAA expects 781,000 Badger State residents to travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday. That’s 4.9 percent more than a year ago.
Cheaper gas prices and an improved economy are cited for the increase in travel during the unofficial kickoff to summer. Wisconsin gas prices are 90 cents less than a year ago on this day.
The state DOT said the busiest highway traffic would be from noon to 8 p.m. both Friday and Monday.
Construction work stopped at noon, and won’t resume until Tuesday morning. Still, the DOT said many construction zones would not be easy to navigate through — and drivers need to stay sober and wear their seat belts.
11 people were killed in Memorial Day weekend crashes in Wisconsin last year, 3 more than the average for the past five years.
The major construction zones are at Milwaukee’s Zoo freeway interchange — I-794 at Milwaukee’s downtown Marquette Interchange — I-94 at Highway 20 in Racine County — Interstate 41 in Outagamie and Brown counties — I-43 in Green Bay — I-90 north of La Crosse — Highway 12 near Lake Geneva — Highway 51 just north of Wausau — Highway 54 near Plover — the Bong Bridge between Superior and Duluth — and the Madison Beltline at Verona Road.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
