Labor Day traffic is already jamming I-90. What you need to know to hit the road
So it began: The Washington Department of Transportation reported 30-minute delays on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Summit as Labor Day traffic started to build early Friday afternoon.
Moderate to heavy traffic was expected in the westbound lanes toward Eastern Washington until 8 p.m. Friday.
Visitors from the west side also could be delayed. Eastbound traffic was likely to reach stop-and-go levels through the evening.
Heading into the long weekend, there are two notes of good news to drivers worried about being stuck in the inevitable Labor Day traffic jams:
- Gas prices are at their lowest level in recent years.
- The Washington Department of Transportation is suspending most highway construction work this holiday weekend to keep traffic flowing.
GasBuddy, which tracks fuel prices, and AAA, the national auto club, report gas prices are at their cheapest levels in three years this weekend.
And gas prices in the Tri-Cities were the third cheapest in the state on Friday.
Nationwide, GasBuddy anticipates an average of $2.55 per gallon. AAA puts it a little higher, at $2.59.
Northwest prices tend to track above the national average, in part, because Washington has one of the highest fuel taxes in the nation, 47.5 cents per gallon, and partly because it has no income tax.
Add another 18.4 cents for federal taxes and the government’s share comes to 67.8 cents a gallon, according to the Washington Department of Revenue.
Fill up in the Tri-Cities
What does it mean for motorists?
Fill up before leaving the Tri-Cities and be strategic about where you stop for gas on the road.
Mid-Columbia gas prices average $2.87 a gallon in Franklin County and $2.95 in Benton.
The Kennewick Costco, 8505 W. Gage Blvd., had Washington’s third cheapest gas on Friday, $2.59 a gallon.
Eastbound travelers will find the state’s cheapest gas at JMT in Deer Park on Crawford Avenue, north of Spokane. It was charging $2.44 on Friday.
For those headed west, definitely fuel up close to home.
Gas costs an average of $3.30 a gallon in King County and $3 and up elsewhere to the west of the Cascades, according to GasBuddy.
One caveat. The North Bend Shell station (Interstate 90, Exit 34) was charging $2.49 a gallon on Friday, making it a good destination for those coming off Snoqualmie Summit with drained tanks.
Road construction halted
It may be more expensive to gas up on the west side, but the state Department of Transportation is attempting to make it a little easier to get there.
It halted construction work on Interstate 90 between Vantage to North Bend, though some detours will remain in place.
Drivers should also anticipate heavy traffic on Stevens Pass and stretches of Interstate 5, particularly between Tacoma and Olympia and at the Canadian border.
DOT advises travelers to allow extra time and to consider traveling early in the day or late in the evening to avoid peak traffic.
Stay sober
The Washington State Patrol is beefing up patrols for the weekend with a special emphasis on impaired drivers.
The state patrol and its peers will actively watch for motorists displaying evidence of being impaired by alcohol, marijuana and other drugs.
The Western State Traffic Safety Coalition notes that there are an average of 400 traffic deaths over the Labor Day weekend.
Stay informed
The WSDOT mobile app, available at Google play or the App Store, offers instant access to road and weather conditions, traffic alerts, trip planning advice and access to traffic cameras throughout the state.
The GasBuddy app finds the cheapest nearby gas.
Visit the full sites through your browser:
DOT’s Labor Day home page: wsdot.wa.gov/travel/times/holidays/labor-day/2019/driver-tips
Traffic alerts: wsdot.com/traffic/trafficalerts/
Washington traffic cameras: wsdot.com/traffic/Cameras/default.aspx
Oregon travel information: tripcheck.com
Idaho travel information: itd.idaho.gov
This story was originally published August 30, 2019 at 12:17 PM.