Early Traffic for Holiday: Tie-Ups but No Disasters
The Fourth of July weekend--the year’s second-busiest holiday on the highways--got off to an early start Friday with thick traffic and tie-ups on the Santa Ana, San Diego, Riverside, Orange and Costa Mesa freeways--in other words, nearly all of Orange County’s arteries.
California Highway Patrol officers reported no major holiday-related accidents in the county by late Friday. Traffic volume resembled the usual Friday night flight, only hours earlier, CHP Officer Mark Reeves said.
“The heaviest was during rush hour on the 91 Freeway, eastbound, near the Riverside County line,” Reeves said. “After the rush hour, traffic seemed to clear up. Hopefully, it won’t be too bad when people return home.”
The Automobile Club of Southern California predicted that traffic this weekend will be up 3% over last year. An estimated 2.8 million Southland residents will drive more than 100 miles each, said Carol Thorp, an Auto Club spokeswoman. Nationwide, one in seven Americans--or 37.5 million people--will travel this weekend.
The record for a Fourth of July weekend was set in 1986, when more than 3 million people clogged Southern California’s roads, Thorp said.
Last year, CHP officers made 74 DUI arrests in Orange County during the Independence Day weekend and recorded one fatality. This year, CHP troopers will be out in force through Tuesday night.
“We just want to make sure that everyone will arrive at their destinations safely,” CHP Officer Denise Medina said. “We’ll be deploying more units than normal to keep congestion down and to keep accidents down. Most of our officers will be working this weekend.”
The Auto Club is also trying to discourage drunk drivers from climbing behind the wheel. It’s offering free “Tipsy Tow” service to all Southern California drivers, not just AAA members, Thorp said. Any driver who has consumed too much may dial (800) 400-4AAA between 6 p.m. this evening and midnight on the Fourth of July to request a free tow and free ride home--up to seven miles.
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
