Holiday travel isn't a walk in the park

Sarah Crane anticipates a harried journey back to Salt Lake City from Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day.

"It's bad when everyone is migrating home," she said. And she prepares for the extra holiday travel strain, anticipating such inconveniences as lost baggage.

"When I'm traveling over holidays, I always make sure I have a carry-on," she said.

With so many people traveling this weekend — AAA estimates 38 million traveling Americans (32.1 million by car, 4.4 million by air, 1.9 million by other modes of transportation) — time and safety tend to be the top concerns.

As usual, road construction may be a bane to many motorists.

"We're trying to pull the road construction projects off of the road as much as possible, but there are areas where there will be road construction," said Nile Easton, spokesman for the Utah Department of Transportation.

The largest ongoing project during Memorial Day weekend is a six-mile northbound stretch of I-15 from the Millard-Juab County line. Lanes have been reduced to one in each direction because of UDOT repairs to the road.

"Holiday travel on that stretch of road usually triples the traffic counts," Easton said. "Dropping that down to one lane will cause delays, especially coming home."

Utah County residents are also advised to avoid a construction project around 800 North in Orem.

Because the 194 construction projects around the state create slower traffic, Easton advises motorists to adjust their departure times accordingly.

The Utah Highway Patrol also wants holiday travel to be smooth and stresses the need for safety and awareness while driving.

"Be prepared for the worst," Utah Highway Patrol trooper Preston Raban said. Raban suggested taking emergency essentials, as well as making sure vehicles are in good working order — broken-down cars cause most problems during holiday weekends.

"If you do have car troubles, try and get your vehicle as far off the road as possible so you're not a hazard," Raban said. "Travel at a time when places are open so you can get things fixed."

For Utahns who plan to drive — an estimated 288,000 will be on the road, up 1.7 percent from last year, according to AAA — gas prices are 34 cents per-gallon higher than last year, with the national average 42 cents higher.

"The high cost of traveling continues to have an impact on vacation plans this year," said Rolayne Fairclough, spokeswoman for AAA Utah. "With record high gas prices and higher lodging and restaurant expenses, travelers are cutting back but not forsaking their holiday plans."

AAA offers traveling advice for those flying, such as checking for flight delays and traffic reports and placing I.D. tags on all luggage.

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Contributing: Nicole Warburton

E-mail: csmith@desnews.com