If you plan to travel this weekend, the Washington State Department of Transportation warns you to allow for extra travel time into and through Labor Day weekend.
WSDOT says that whether taking in the great outdoors or staying close to home, the last holiday weekend of the summer typically brings additional traffic, so planning ahead is crucial as Labor Day approaches.
This includes planning for traffic from other statewide residents coming into our area.
WSDOT has Labor Day weekend traffic volume charts that can help determine best times to travel on key routes. (Due to closure of the US-Canadian border to non-essential travel, there will not be travel charts for the border crossing.)
While some traffic volumes have dipped due to the pandemic, traffic to popular outdoor areas can still be heavy. If possible, altering travel to less busy times can improve individual trips and help keep all traffic flowing more freely. Staying close to home, limiting non-essential travel and having a backup plan if your location is already crowded also will help reduce travel stress as well as slow the spread of COVID-19.
Know before you go Those venturing out on land or sea can use several WSDOT tools to keep updated throughout the trip:
Statewide construction halted, but expect holiday travel delays — especially on passes To ease congestion statewide, WSDOT suspends most state highway construction work during the weekend, starting Friday, Sept. 4, through Monday, Sept. 7, though some larger construction zones and detours may remain in place. Traffic is always heavy over Interstate 90’s Snoqualmie Pass on summer weekends, so travelers should allow extra travel time or consider traveling during non-peak times, typically early in the day or later in the evening.
Tolling In the Puget Sound, weekend toll rates will be in effect on Monday, Sept. 7, on the State Route 520 bridge and the SR 99 tunnel. The Interstate 405 express toll lanes will be free and open to all drivers on the Monday holiday. Travelers can learn about toll roads and rental car tips on the Good to Go! visitors page.
Ferry travel People boarding a state ferry by vehicle should prepare for long waits and plan to remain in their vehicle throughout the sailing as much as possible due to the pandemic. Some routes are operating on reduced sailing schedules. A face covering and proper physical distancing are required for all walk-on passengers.
Other travel considerations Travelers planning to avoid highway congestion by traveling via train, personal aircraft or transit also should factor the holiday into their plans and check ahead to see if there are any COVID-19 restrictions or requirements: