By Mike Finney

DOVER — Motorists throughout the country are expected to travel to their Independence Day celebrations in record numbers.

Drivers in Delaware and on all roads heading to the Atlantic Ocean will be among them.

In addition, with Fourth of July on a Thursday this year, it is expected that both the surrounding weekends will witness big crowds on First State thoroughfares.

“We certainly expect both this weekend and the following weekend to be very busy on the roads,” said Charles “C.R.” McLeod, director of communications for the Delaware Department on Transportation.

“Wednesday, July 3, will likely be the start of the long holiday weekend travel. Thursday will have a lot of localized issues surrounding parades in the day and fireworks in the evening. We will have a lot of staff out and about assisting in managing event traffic that day, to the extent possible.”

Mr. McLeod also noted that the fireworks in Rehoboth Beach are scheduled July 6, which will also cause congestion.

“Heavy traffic should be expected in and around Rehoboth, and we encourage those attending (the fireworks) to utilize our Park and Ride facilities in Rehoboth and Lewes for easy access to the Rehoboth boardwalk by bus,” he said.

Plus, “Sunday, July 7, is likely to see very heavy traffic as travelers head home.”

AAA is projecting that 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from their homes over the Independence Day period — a 5% increase over last year and an 8% increase over 2019. It is anticipated that more than 85% of travelers who celebrate the holiday will take road trips.

With a record 60.6 million forecast to travel by car, that will be about 2.8 million more motorists than last year and 5 million more than 2019.

“With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “We anticipate this July Fourth week will be the busiest ever, with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”

This year, AAA is defining the Independence Day travel forecast as the period between June 29 to July 7. Usually, it only includes one weekend.

July 3, 7 and 8 are expected to be the busiest days on the roads. To avoid backups, drivers should travel in the morning, AAA advised.

Additionally, Mr. McLeod said DelDOT will keep projects at a minimum through the days around the Fourth of July.

“Outside of ‘permanent’ lane closures — like bridges closed for detours — no additional part-time lane closures are allowed by our contract language from noon (July 3) through the end of the day (July 4). We are also considering additional restrictions for (July 5) for some projects,” he said.

For those taking to the skies to reach their destinations, air travel is also forecast to set a record next week, with 5.7 million people using airlines, according to AAA. That’s 7% higher than last year and up 12% from 2019.

Plus, more than 4.6 million people are expected to travel via other modes, including buses, cruises and trains — a category that increased 9% over 2023.

Regarding timing, INRIX, a provider of transportation insights, predicts that the worst periods to travel by car on or before July Fourth will be between 2-7 p.m. Travelers returning July 8 should avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon.

“Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7, as they return,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal.

“Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions.”

Staff writer Mike Finney can be reached at 302-741-8230 or mfinney@iniusa.org.
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