Millions prepare to travel as Labor Day weekend brings higher costs, heavier traffic

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, and millions of Americans are expected to hit the road despite higher travel costs and crowded destinations.

AAA predicts about 50 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend, with many choosing road trips. But travelers should be prepared for higher gas prices, heavy traffic and busy airports.

“We are on pace to set the record for the highest gas price for Labor Day,” said Tiffany Wright with AAA Carolinas. “Right now at $4.14 a gallon nationally, we’ve never been over the $4 mark for any Labor Day holiday ever.”

Wright said travelers should plan ahead and avoid peak traffic periods whenever possible.

“The big concern for this holiday really is going to be heavy congestion,” Wright said. “It’s going to be crowded out there. A lot of folks are gonna be taking road trips.”

She recommends leaving early or later in the day and avoiding times when commuters and holiday travelers are on the road at the same time.

AAA recommends travelers heading out Friday leave before noon to avoid the worst congestion. Those returning home Monday should expect the heaviest traffic between 2 and 7 p.m.

For those planning one last beach trip of the summer, parking could be another challenge.

South Lumina Avenue in Wrightsville Beach was recently ranked as having the worst parking situation in North Carolina by Munley Law, a personal injury law firm.

Visitors to Wrightsville Beach said finding a spot can be difficult, especially during the busiest times of day.

“We got lucky and found a parking spot, but normally when we come, there’s never parking spots here,” Angie Cano said. “It’s very hard to find parking spots.”

UNCW freshman Diego Fuentes said he has also struggled to find parking near the beach.

“Parking’s awful,” Fuentes said. “I get here in the mornings and I’m ready to pay for parking, and there’s not even parking.”

Fuentes said he sometimes drives to Carolina Beach, where he can find free parking, but the trip can take 30 to 45 minutes.

UNCW junior Robbie Wade said finding a spot during the day can be nearly impossible.

“If you know someone, you can park there, but in the daytime, good luck finding a spot because it’s not likely,” Wade said.

Beachgoers should also be aware of rip currents, which have contributed to several drownings across the region this summer.

Brandon Locklear with the National Weather Service said swimmers caught in a rip current should avoid trying to swim directly against it.

“If you’re in that current, what you need to do is actually swim parallel to the coast,” Locklear said. “And depending on the rip current, the width of the rip current, you may have to swim 10, 15, 20 yards, but you should get it out of that current to where you’re no longer fighting that current that’s pushing you out into the ocean.”

Locklear also urged people who attempt to help someone caught in a rip current to use a flotation device rather than entering the water themselves. Flotation devices are available at several beach access points along Wrightsville Beach.