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Heavy traffic expected July 4

T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Traffic is expected to be heavy during the July 4 weekend as people take to the roads to enjoy the holiday, but motorists are warned to be careful.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Motorists are reminded to be safe and prepared when taking to the road for the July 4 holiday, since many others are also expected to be behind the wheel.

Sgt. Rocky Hise of the St. Clairsville post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said troopers will be out in force. The holiday falls during the “100 deadliest days of summer,” as the Ohio State Highway Patrol designates the period from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

“When it comes to the increased presence, that’s an absolute. There’s going to be definitely an increased presence of officers out on the roadway during the holiday reporting period, especially when it comes to the federal funding that is available to the highway patrol to put more units out on the road.” he said.

“When it comes to the gas prices and the volume of traffic, personally I would still anticipate still seeing an increase in traffic even if the gas prices were up, especially with it being the holiday weekend. Over the last couple of years people have been kind of restricted when it comes to going out during the holiday weekends, and this is kind of the first year that things have been opened up for the most part 100 percent,” Hise said.

He also gave some advice.

“Give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going. Be patient with other motorists. Exercise the Golden Rule — treat others as you would want to be treated. Be patient, drive without distraction. Put the devices down until you get where you’re going, and obviously wear your seatbelt,” he said.

“If you’re going to celebrate somewhere on the July 4 weekend, make plans ahead for a designated driver and just drive smart and think smart,” Hise said.

“Be aware of road work. We’ve got a lot of roadwork on I-70 and 470 here in Belmont County, but when it comes to being aware of other things on the roadway, I would say keep in mind that there are an increased amount of motorcycles out on the road, so be aware of that,” he said.

According to the American Automobile Association, more than 47.9 million Americans, including a record 2.2 million Ohioans, are expected to travel June 30 to July 4. This is an increase of 3.7 percent nationally, and 3.8 percent for Ohio.

Kimberly Schwind, spokeswoman for the American Automobile Association, said to expect plenty of traffic in the Ohio Valley.

“We’re seeing when it comes to where Ohioans are going, we find that domestic travel continues to lead the way for the July 4 holiday, with outdoor activities continuing to be top of the list,” she said. “A lot of Ohioans continue to travel to areas within the Ohio and regional borders.”

She mentioned the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Mohican State Park, Amish Country and Hocking Hills State Park as very popular destinations for Ohio travelers.

“A lot of people are traveling a little bit farther outside of that, with going down to Tennesee. Nashville and Gatlinburg are very popular, but of course also a lot of people heading down to those East Coast beaches,” Schwind said.

“We’re seeing travel bookings up across the board. Hotels are up 30 percent from last year. We’re seeing air and car reservations for Ohio travelers not only for July 4, this is in general, are up 20 percent, activities are up 45 percent and cruises are up 36 percent. Those are the books that we’re seeing in general,” she said. “We are seeing a huge demand for travel, and our Independence Day travel forecast numbers reflect that. We are seeing record travel numbers here in Ohio and across the country.

“The national numbers are expected to fall just shy of 2019, but Ohioans are out there traveling in record numbers. We set a record last year for Independence Day, and we’re going to beat that record this year,” she said.

“Over the last couple of years a lot of people put off the big trips because of COVID and the lingering restrictions, so they’re just ready,” she said, adding travelers have been finding ways to cut corners and eliminate frills. “We have this pent-up demand. … It’s going to cost more, no matter if you’re driving or flying you’re going to notice that those travel costs are higher than before the pandemic, but people are finding ways to make that work.”

Schwind said other factors such as concern over flight delays and cancellations are motivating people to opt for driving.

“If you look at overall travel prices, even with gas prices so high, the fuel cost is a relatively small part of an overall travel budget depending on what trip you’re taking,” she said.

She said congestion in the days leading up to the holiday weekend is expected.

“If anybody is taking a road trip to major cities, be prepared around those major metro areas for significantly more delays,” she said. “The best times to travel are early in the morning and late in the evening.”

Schwind reminds motorists to exercise proper maintenance of their cars, including oil, fluid levels, tires, and have the battery checked if it is 3-5 years old.

“Nobody wants their holiday road trip ruined by a breakdown, but AAA expects to respond to more than 446,000 calls for emergency roadside assistance across the country during the Independence Day holiday weekend,” she said. “It is essential to get your car ready for that road trip.”

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