MI Memorial Day Travel Alert: Best, Worst Times To Hit The Road

The highest gas prices in nearly four years aren’t stopping people from hitting the road during what’s expected to be a record Memorial Day travel period — and when you get out of Michigan matters if you want to avoid travel bottlenecks.

Leaving at the right time won’t just save you from frustration. Stop-and-go traffic reduces fuel efficiency by 10 percent to 40 percent, and with Michiganders paying an average of $4.80 for a gallon of regular gasoline on Tuesday, that can make traveling even more expensive.

In its Memorial Day Weekend travel forecast, AAA said a record 45 million Americans are expected to travel 50 or more miles from home for Labor Day Weekend. Most of them — 39.1 million — will be driving. All modes of travel are expected to increase this year.

The transportation analytics company INRIX predicts some of the worst Memorial Day Weekend traffic will hit major metro corridors Thursday and Friday afternoons, with several routes expected to see travel times nearly double.

Michigan drivers will likely see major slowdowns on Interstate 75 and Interstate 94, especially on Monday when drivers could see a 44 percent increase on the freeways, according to AAA.

More generally, here are the best and worst travel times throughout the long holiday weekend:

Thursday, May 21

Worst: noon-9 p.m.; best: after 9 pm.

Friday, May 22

Worst: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; best: before 11 a.m.

Saturday, May 23

Worst: noon-5 p.m.; best: before 11 a.m.

Sunday, May 24

Minimal traffic disruption expected

Monday, May 25

Worst, noon-5 p.m.; best, before 11 a.m.