Travel over holiday weekend expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels

Motorists should be prepared for congested roadways in the Las Vegas Valley as the Fourth of July holiday is expected to bring many carloads of travelers to the area.

AAA is predicting 50.7 million Americans will be traveling during the holiday with 80 percent of those traveling by car. It did not have estimates for Las Vegas visitation specifically.

The Las Vegas Vistiors and Convention Authority estimates that as many as 334,000 people will visit Las Vegas and surrounding areas over the five-day holiday weekend, though not all of those will arrive by car.

Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Ashlee Wellman said it’s anticipated that a lot of people will come into town for the weekend and Tuesday’s holiday. NHP has brought in additional staffing starting Friday and is planning to keep them until the 4th.

The high numbers of travelers can be attributed to the lifting of pandemic restrictions, according to AAA.

“What we’re seeing is that when the restrictions were lifted, there was a hunger for travel by people,” AAA spokesperson John Treanor said. “They couldn’t (travel) and now they can. Whether it’s family people are going to see or just vacations as a whole, we’re seeing very high numbers.”

This trend has continued as the nation moves farther away from the pandemic. In 2022, 48.7 million people were on the road, about 2 million fewer than are expected this year. In 2019, 49 million people were expected to travel during the 4th.

Because of the expected influx, the Nevada Department of Transportation has paused many of its projects, including the ongoing I-15/Tropicana Design Build project, starting on Sunday, with work resuming on Wednesday. Drivers may experience delays and lane closures once construction resumes.

With all of this expected travel, AAA is anticipating 400,000 roadside assistance calls. The highway patrol and AAA both offered tips for drivers hitting the roadways.

NHP recommends leaving early for your destination and to have patience while on the road when dealing with traffic congestion.

AAA recommends doing pre-trip inspections, especially for those traveling by car in warm weather.

It recommends checking your battery life, tire pressure as well as the oil level and other fluids for your engine.

Low tire pressure on hot roads can lead to blowouts, and low fluids can lead to engine fires so AAA wants drivers to check their cars before hitting the road so everyone can enjoy a safe and festive 4th of July holiday.

Contact Kiara Adams at kadams@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-0399. Follow @kiadams101 on Twitter.