|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2024
|
|
Maine Turnpike Authority predicts slight traffic increase of 1% over last year’s Labor Day Weekend
Miles the Maine Turnpike Moose to visit Kennebunk NB Service Plaza on Friday, 8/30
PORTLAND, Maine – Miles the Moose, a Maine Turnpike Labor Day weekend staple for over two decades, will greet incoming visitors to the state at the Kennebunk northbound service plaza from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM on Friday, August 30th.
Miles will be available for photos, and Turnpike staff will be available for interviews.
More than 1.1 million transactions are anticipated to occur on the Maine Turnpike from Friday through Monday of this Labor Day weekend. Projections indicate a 0.9% increase in traffic compared to last year’s four-day weekend. In 2023, 1,095,516 transactions occurred over the long holiday weekend. This year, Friday is expected to be the busiest of all four days system-wide. Peak traffic volumes and times are as follows:
- Friday: Heaviest volume northbound between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
- Saturday: Busiest hours are between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM in both directions.
- Monday: Heaviest volume southbound between 12:00 noon and 7:00 PM.
Travelers should be aware that this weekend, Part-Time Shoulder Use (PTSU) is likely to be implemented on Interstate 95 in Kittery and Portsmouth. PTSU is a dynamic system designed to reduce congestion and improve safety. PTSU has been activated during peak travel periods since May. Motorists need to stay alert to the system's beacons and lane-use signals when they are activated, indicating that traveling on the shoulder is allowed.
All construction and maintenance activities on the Turnpike will be suspended over the long weekend; however, there are still many construction areas on the Pike that include narrowed lanes and reduced speed zones. Please obey the posted work zone speed limits.
Total traffic numbers from the holiday weekend will be available after 12 PM on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
###