Tips from veteran beach-goers to prevent getting stuck in Labor Day traffic

According to a Trip Advisor Survey, Labor Day weekend travel is expected to be up eleven percent. Sixty- eight percent of those travelers will be driving to their destinations, like Ocean City.

Mike Loughren says, “Once the highways fill up, the crazies are out there. They’re trying to make up for time because they didn’t get up early.”

According to folks in Ocean City, getting stuck in bumper to bumper traffic is one of the worst ways to start off a vacation.

In an effort to help out the rookies, 47 ABC caught up with some veteran beach goers that know the lay of the land. Amy Chase frequently travels from Annapolis. She says she takes Route 50 to Route 404.

Chase goes, “That goes off to the left and then it’s all corn, beans, and soy fields. It’s kind of circuitous, but it just keeps you from the main traffic.”

Those directions may help coming from the west, but if you’re traveling from up north, Jack Willis says do your best to avoid getting on Route 50. He suggests taking Route 404 to Route 113 to the Route 90 Bridge.

Jack Willis says, “It’s better in terms of flow. It takes you through Georgetown and you know small towns like that.”

For locals headed to the sands, Sarah Hancock at LA Piercing has mastered her route that she says by-passes all traffic in between Wawa and the Route 50 Draw Bridge.

Sarah Hancock continues, “Right before the visitor’s center which is right after Jerry Mack Road, you take that right. It’s like that weird little turn thing. Then you go down and you hit a light. You go down a little bit further and you hit a stop sign. At some point you see the sign for the Park and Ride off on your left. You can take that right up. It hits right up against the Route 50 Bridge.”

However, even with all the short cuts, there can always be some sort of accident. For that reason, Cheryl Treires of Virginia uses a free app called Waze.

Treires goes on, “It tells you traffic, where traffic backups are, where cars are broken down, and where the police are.”

If all else fails hopefully technology can get you there and remember to please buckle up, don’t speed, and don’t drink and drive.

For more information on Labor Day traffic, click here.