Thousands expected to travel through BNA this weekend
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nearly 44 million people are expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA estimates. That’s the second highest Memorial Day travel forecast for this weekend since the agency began reporting the data in 2000.
Nashville International Airport (BNA) projects close to 40,000 people to fly through the airport Friday alone, which is also set to be the busiest day nationwide.
We’ve already seen long lines at BNA on a normal day. Drivers might be wondering how congestion might be impacted between the holiday and new construction at the airport. In March, Exit 216C on I-40 East to Donelson Pike/State Route 255 North closed permanently as work continues on the I-40 Interchange Project.
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News 2 asked BNA officials how they plan to mitigate the congestion this holiday weekend. Officials responded with the following statement:
With Memorial Day weekend marking the start of summer travel, Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) is taking steps to ensure a smooth journey for all passengers. We will increase both parking and valet services, along with coordinating with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to manage traffic flow throughout the holiday weekend. To further expedite arrivals, we’ve added two dedicated lanes for traffic using Exit 216A, accommodating an additional 1,000 vehicles per hour. Additionally, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be operating at full capacity with all security lanes open to minimize wait times. BNA also encourages travelers to take advantage of our free and low-cost short-term parking options, as well as our free cell phone waiting lot for picking up arriving passengers.
Stacey Nickens, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Nashville International Airport
News 2 also spoke with travelers Friday. Many had mixed feelings about the travel situation to the airport between congestion and new construction-related closures.
“I dropped my cousin off last night and she was almost late so I’m three hours early,” said Vanessa Warren, a Murfreesboro resident traveling to Los Angeles, California for the weekend. “I travel a lot, so I know definitely always come early cause you never know what you’re going to get with Nashville traffic, and they also have some construction there and everything has been directed different ways.”
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While Christi Lassen and Geoff Defrance were waiting for their flight to Florida, they told News 2 the construction into the airport wasn’t too bad, adding that they expected a lot worse, so the trip went pretty smoothly.
Departing Passengers (projected) from BNA:
Friday, May 24 – 38,000
Saturday, May 25 – 28,000
Sunday, May 26 – 33,000
Monday, May 27 – 32,000
Tuesday, May 28 – 31,000
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