MDOT urges travel safety this Memorial Day weekend

Ya-Marie Sesay
·2 min read

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (DC News Now) — With nearly 44 million people projected to travel over Memorial Day weekend, many of whom will be driving, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is encouraging everyone to stay safe on the roads.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) anticipates 38.4 million people will hit the road the holiday weekend. That’s a 4% increase compared to last year – and a record number since AAA started tracking in 2000.

With more cars hitting the road, drivers need to be extra careful. In Maryland, more than 600 lost their lives on a Maryland highway last year and nearly half of all fatalities happen between May and September, according to MDOT.

To ensure a safe commute to your destination, be sure to stay focused, slow down, drive sober, buckle up and be prepared. Maryland also has a move-over law, meaning drivers must move over one lane when there is a stopped vehicle.

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It’s expected that many drivers will be using the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. On average, 61,000 travel across that bridge on a daily.

Here are the best times to travel over the bridge from Thursday to Tuesday: 

  • Eastbound

    • Thursday, May 23 – before 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

    • Friday, May 24 – before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

    • Saturday, May 25 – before 7 a.m. and after 4 p.m.

    • Sunday, May 26 – before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

    • Memorial Day Monday, May 27 – before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

    • Tuesday, May 28 – before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

  • Westbound

    • Thursday, May 23 – before 11 a.m. and after 8 p.m.

    • Friday, May 24 – before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.​

    • Saturday, May 25 – before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

    • Sunday, May 26 – before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

    • Memorial Day Monday, May 27 – before 9 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

    • Tuesday, May 28 – before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

More than three million people are also expected to travel by air, which is a 5% increase from last year.

Give yourself enough time and be patient whether you’re hitting the roads or catching a flight this holiday.

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