Holiday Weekend Travel

The following information is from UDOT in anticipation of traffic congestion because of Provo's Freedom Festival activities. If you have family and friends who will be traveling to and from events, pass this on to them:

Drivers traveling through UDOT’s Utah County I-15 Corridor Expansion (I-15 CORE) should plan ahead to reduce projected one- to two-hour delays at the busiest travel times over the Independence Day weekend. Motorists are advised to plan ahead and schedule their travel before noon on Thursday, Friday and Monday to reduce the chance of encountering heavy delays through the 24-mile construction zone.

No new construction activities are scheduled to take place over the weekend, but drivers should plan to encounter existing restrictions such as narrowed lanes, reduced speed limits and lane shifts that will remain in place to ensure safety.

Other tips include:

*             Check the Map: Motorists can save hours of waiting in traffic by taking five minutes at  dot.utah.gov. Click on Know Where, Know Why to see the interactive map of where all the road construction is happening in the state along your travel route and what delays might be expected.

Look at live cameras and check traffic reports on the site before heading out.

*             Avoid the Fire Frenzy: On Saturday, UDOT will be working with Stadium of Fire organizers to coordinate traffic signals on major roads during heavy travel periods before and after the event. Drivers coming from the north are encouraged to use 800 North and Center Street in Orem and University Avenue in Provo. From the south, drivers should use State Street in Springville to 900 East and University Avenue in Provo.

Provo Center Street is under construction and should be avoided. A special text on traffic conditions before and after the event will be sent to subscribers who text *I15* to 53535. The project will also provide frequent updates on open routes, delays and crashes on twitter (twitter.com/i15core). These recommendations are also for those traveling to and from the Freedom Festival on Monday.

*             Extend Your Stay: Motorists are encouraged to support in-state travel and reduce delays this weekend by leaving a day earlier or staying a day later. UDOT, in partnership with the Utah Office of Tourism, created the *Stay an Extra Day* program to provide special offers at lodging properties and tourism attractions for those who extend their stay. A list of offers is available at www.udot.utah.gov/stayanextraday. Drivers reduced delays by more than an hour by traveling on Thursday and Tuesday over Memorial Day weekend.

Routes around the stadium following the Stadium of Fire event on Saturday, July  2 is diagrammed below--