Traffic is bound to hit pre pandemic levels over Memorial Day Weekend

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The American Automobile Association (AAA) said that almost a million Wisconsinites are set to travel 5 miles or more from home over the holiday weekend.

Construction work has been set to pause for three days - but still, certain areas are best avoided by motorists. For example, in Outagamie County, Wisconsin Sate Highway 54 between Shiocton and Seymour is closed to through traffic - there are detour routes for drivers.

In Brown County, southbound I-43 is down to one lane across the Leo Frigo Bridge. Travelers should plan for extra time at this bottleneck.

Then, when folks are beginning to head back to work on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, construction on Highway 441 will begin. That involves pavement improvement and a lot of ramp closures, especially overnight.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is asking drivers to leave early and plan extra time during the busy summer holiday season. Alert and defensive driving is always a good idea, the DOT recommends. And, although construction work has been halted for the Memorial Day Weekend, orange barrels will still close off lanes and certain areas like rest stops.

“People are out, they are traveling through, they are driving, they’re flying, and they just gotta be safe when they do it and that means paying attention - hands on the wheel and knowing what you expect before you do if you get there,” said Mark Kantola, Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Officials say that the easiest way to plan ahead is to check out their 511 maps at https://511wi.gov/#:Alerts

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