Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE COUNTY — If you’re trying to get out of town on a road trip Friday evening to get the summer started, you’re not alone. Friday is one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Traffic has been heavy most of the afternoon and passing storms have been part of the problem.
One major traffic jam happened earlier in the day when motorists driving too fast for the wet conditions crashed during a downpour near "the spaghetti bowl."
Friday evening, the Utah Department of Transportation said you can expect to take an extra 40 minutes of travel time headed south through Salt Lake and Utah counties, and an extra 30 minutes of travel time headed north through Davis and Weber counties.
Monday afternoon, traffic will be heavy headed the opposite direction.
Keep in mind there are a lot of trucks hauling campers, toy trailers and boats mixed in with extra motorcycle traffic and all of our regular commercial truckers and commuters. Be patient, keep your cool, and check your speed.
“There’s going to be a lot of additional vehicles out on the road,” said UDOT spokesman John Gleason. “About 20 percent higher than your typical Friday and Monday evening commute is what we’re expecting.”
On an average day, 250,000 vehicles travel on I-15 in Salt Lake County. On Friday, they’re expecting as many as 300,000.
UDOT is suspending construction across the state this weekend, with the exception of a bridge project that will close two southbound lanes on I-15 in Lehi after 11 p.m. Friday night.
