Before the return of yellow school buses and all things pumpkin spice, many people plan summer festivities over Labor Day. The Washington state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) encourages people to make travel plans now for the popular three-day weekend. Congestion is expected on most major routes. Travelers should also be aware of wildfire activity and road closures affecting travel plans.
To make the most of the weekend, WSDOT recommends consulting the agency’s holiday travel charts and other services at https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel to determine the best, and worst, times to travel. This year’s charts include U.S. Route 2, Interstate 90 and Interstate 5 between Lacey and Tacoma as well as Bellingham to the United States-Canada border.
According to a WSDOT news release, most construction will be paused over the holiday weekend, through Monday, Sept. 2, to help limit congestion. WSDOT recommends people go early or late and give themselves plenty of extra time. Travelers should stay alert for new lane shifts or other work zone staging areas that may remain in place and give emergency crews plenty of space to work safely. Crashes or emergency road repairs can also add to travel times.
That release stated that no construction is planned on I-90 from Friday, Aug. 30, through to Tuesday, Sept. 3. However, the usual holiday increase in traffic volumes means travelers should expect delays, especially eastbound on Friday and westbound on Monday. People can refer to the travel charts for more detail. Text message alerts about significant delays are available by texting the word START to 85107.
WSDOT also recommends:
• Getting informed about WSDOT online tools. Including the WSDOT mobile app, traffic cameras and email alerts.
• Visit online traveler information for traffic, weather, ferry schedules and a real-time travel map.
• Follow WSDOT on various social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X.
In the Puget Sound region, weekend toll rates will be in effect on Sept. 2, on the state Route 520 bridge and state Route 99 tunnel. The Interstate 405 express toll lanes will be free and open to all drivers on the Monday holiday.
Those boarding a state ferry by vehicle should prepare for long waits. Peak travel times on most routes are expected to be westbound or island-bound Thursday through Saturday and eastbound or off-island Saturday through Sept. 2. Customers can bypass vehicle lines by traveling as a walk-on passenger and usually board much faster.
Travelers by train, personal aircraft or bus also should plan ahead to avoid holiday delays.
Amtrak Cascades passengers are encouraged to purchase tickets early and plan to arrive at the station one hour before departure. Trains are running between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eugene, Oregon, stopping at 18 stations along the way.
Buses are also available for travel between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, and between Seattle and Bellingham.
Visit www.AmtrakCascades.com/, or call 800-USA-RAIL for tickets and schedules.
To view travel charts and other pertinent information regarding specific forms of travel during the busy weekend, visit wsdot.wa.gov.
