Thanksgiving Holiday Expected to Bring Increase in Traffic, Travel Times on WA Highways
Travel through the four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend is expected to be slower going on several of the state's major roadways.
Heavier-than-usual traffic volumes are expected until early this evening, especially on the westbound lanes of Interstate-90 over Snoqualmie Pass and U.S. Highway 2 over Stevens Pass.
U.S. Highway 97 over Blewett and Satus Passes, U.S. Highway 12 over White Pass, and Interstate-82 between Ellensburg and the Tri-Cities are also expected see increases in traffic throughout Wednesday.
Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson, Lauren Loebsack, says after today's big push, things will calm down for a while before getting busy once more.
"If you're traveling tomorrow (Friday, November 24), that's actually more of a wide open day for decent travel times. But we always see a reverse effect for Sunday. So folks traveling home then will definitely experience slower-moving traffic and increased travel times, especially between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m."
Loebsack says in addition to bringing your patience, it's also important to be prepared for hazardous road conditions.
"Drivers should remember to be prepared for winter weather at this point in the season. The forecast through the weekend is pretty clear over the mountain passes but that doesn't mean that there isn't the possibility of isolated snow showers, ice or fog."
Loebsack says motorists also need to heed any and all tire advisories posted by DOT.
A graph of the busiest and least busy times to travel on the state's major roadways through the Thanksgiving holiday can be found at the DOT's website by clicking here.