SALT LAKE CITY — Today marks the beginning of Memorial Day weekend and it’s a long weekend for many Utahns, meaning roads and highways will likely be crowded.
The Utah Department of Transportation is doing what it can to make your vehicle travel as pleasant as possible.
That means crews are hitting the pause button on most road construction projects intending to allow traffic to move more freely and quickly.
"We don’t want to add any delays that are already going to be out there with everybody hitting the road," explained UDOT Spokesperson John Gleason.
Even under ideal circumstances, especially on getaway Friday, if you haven’t left yet, good luck.
"This is the unofficial start of summer for a lot of us and people are heading to all parts of the state," Gleason said.
In particular, traffic could be heavy during peak hours like Friday afternoon, beginning around 2 p.m. on southbound I-15 in Salt Lake County and also in the Nephi area.
A similar traffic situation will be happening on northbound I-15 in Davis County on Friday.
Delays are also expected on Highway 6 as people head towards Green River, Moab and Lake Powell.
Even though most construction crews will not be working, there will be reminders of their projects on the roads, including orange barrels and in some cases, heavy machinery.
"A stretch you may have driven hundreds of times before could look very different," Gleason said. "Lane restrictions, lane shifts, so you want to make sure you’re paying attention as you’re moving through that work zone even though there isn’t any work happening this weekend.”
Gleason gave the age-old advice to slow down, be patient and stay alert in work zones, even though construction won't be happening.
Even though construction crews may have the weekend off, Utah Highway Patrol troopers will be working overtime, literally.
There will be extra shifts throughout the state with troopers keeping an eye out for speeders, those driving distracted, drowsy, or impaired.
WATCH: FOX 13's April Baker headed to the airport to check out preparations for holiday weekend travel
For those taking a further trip, the Salt Lake City International Airport is also prepped for an influx of guests.
Roughly 30,000 people will catch flights from the airport over the weekend, with most expected to go through the doors of the airport on Friday.
In 2023, just over 27,000 passengers crossed paths with the airport, according to spokesperson Nancy Volmer.
"People are more comfortable traveling now but also the airport has opened up 22 additional gates," Volmer said. "So last October, we opened up the remainder of Concourse A-East...So there are more flights and I think that's one of the reasons we're seeing an increase in the number of travelers."
Volmer expects the number of passengers at the airport to grow even more once phases three and four are completed over the next two years.
If you are planning to head to the airport this holiday weekend, it's a good idea to arrive earlier than usual and make sure you comply with different baggage policies.
