As Labor Day weekend approaches, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) released statements warning holiday weekend travelers to expect heavier-than-normal congestion and to plan accordingly as the state prepares for pre-pandemic travel levels.
WSDOT posted congestion forecast charts for the Interstate 5 stretch between Lacey and Tacoma, Interstate 90 between North Bend and Cle Elum (Snoqualmie Pass) and U.S. Highway 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish. The forecasts can be found online at https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/holiday-weekend-travel/labor-day-weekend-travel-times.
Most state highway construction work will be suspended throughout the holiday weekend but emergency repair crews will still be out. WSDOT warned drivers to remain alert for the crews and to pay attention to new lane shifts and work zone staging areas.
For those braving Snoqualmie pass, traffic text message alerts concerning delays can be received by texting “WSDOT” to 468311.
Anyone using the ferries this weekend should prepare for long waits as well, with the westbound routes expected to be busier than normal starting on Thursday and going into Saturday. From Sunday to Tuesday, ferry passengers can expect to see the longest waits on the eastbound routes.
Passengers are advised to double check the ferry sailing routes online here at https://wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/Default.aspx, as some routes have changed times since the beginning of the pandemic.
For more information on the ferries and to make reservations or buy tickets, visit https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries.
Travelers already on the road can receive highway advisory alerts by tuning their radios to either 530 AM or 1610 AM, and WSDOT has a mobile app that can be found and installed on smartphones by searching for WSDOT in either the Google Play or Apple App stores.
A live-travel map can be found online here https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/ and real-time travel data can also be searched by specific route online at https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/.
Drivers can also follow WSDOT’s Twitter and Facebook accounts for updates. A list of the Twitter accounts can be found online at https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/travel-information-phone. Email alerts can also be received by signing up for them at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOT/subscriber/new.
Finally, those heading out this weekend can also check any one of the 1,523 live traffic cameras WSDOT has set up, which can be accessed online at https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/cameras.
