Arizona Labor Day travel guide: Best times to drive; latest gas prices
Best times to drive in AZ this Labor Day weekend
The Labor Day holiday weekend is here, and FOX 10's Annalisa Pardo has more on the best times to hit the road to avoid heavy traffic on major Arizona highways.
PHOENIX - Labor Day weekend is getting underway, and many people are expected to take one last summer trip over the holiday weekend.
Big picture view:
While Labor Day weekend does not draw the same massive travel numbers seen during Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, it remains one last chance for people to get away before fall begins.
The travel rush officially began on Thursday, Sept. 3, but AAA expects Friday to be the busiest day of the weekend.
What you can do:
Drivers setting out on Friday should hit the road before noon. Saturday travelers should try to leave before 10 a.m. Traffic on Sunday is expected to be light, but travelers returning home on Monday should head out before noon before gridlock starts around 2 p.m. Airports are also expected to see a higher number of passengers than usual for the holiday weekend.
"Flexibility is always your friend when you travel whether you're taking a road trip, whether you're going on a cruise, whether you're flying," said Aixa Diaz, a spokesperson for AAA.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is working to make travel easier for drivers over the holiday weekend. The agency said there will be no planned highway closures from Friday afternoon through late Monday night. ADOT is also warning drivers that the heaviest traffic spots are expected to be on Interstate 10 around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as Interstate 17 north of Phoenix.
Other highways expected to be busy include State Route 87 between Fountain Hills and Payson, U.S. 93 between Wickenburg and Hoover Dam, and Interstates 8 and 10 between the Phoenix area and the California state line.
By the numbers:
High gas prices are not expected to stop people from getting behind the wheel. According to AAA, the national average is $4.14 a gallon, the statewide average in Arizona is $4.53 a gallon, and prices in Phoenix average $4.62 per gallon.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Aixa Diaz and the Arizona Department of Transportation.