Toll agency predicts holiday travel increase
Traffic counts at state toll facilities this Labor Day weekend are expected to increase 3 percent over previous totals, the Maryland Transportation Authority predicts.
The authority is calculating the percentage increase based on 2008 figures for most toll facilities but 2007 totals for the Bay Bridge, where repair work in the wake of a high-profile fatal crash skewed last year's totals.
The busiest facility, as usual, is expected to be the Fort McHenry Tunnel, with a projected 473,000 users. Close behind would be the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (Interstate 95 northeast of Baltimore) with 467,000. The Bay Bridge, with three fewer lanes than the eight-lane McHenry Tunnel, is expected to carry 366,000 vehicles.
The agency is warning of significant delays on the Bay Bridge. It advises that the best times to cross the bridge this weekend are:
Thursday: Before 3 p.m. and after 10 p.m.
Friday: Before noon and after 10 p.m.
Saturday: Before 7 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Sunday: Between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
Monday: Before 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
Depending on your destination, starting point and expected congestion level at the bridge, it is also worth considering a route around the head of the bay. For residents of Baltimore and its northern suburbs, such a route can be faster than using the Bay Bridge and U.S. 50 -- especially when headed for the Delaware beaches.
