South Florida's airports are bustling with Fourth of July travelers
MIAMI - Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale's airports were bustling with travelers on Wednesday as the Fourth of July travel period kicked into high gear.
It's the busiest travel day ahead of the holiday weekend.
At Miami International, more than a million passengers are expected during the holiday travel period from Monday, July 1st to Monday, July 8th.
"We highly suggest arriving three hours before your flight," said Miami International Airport Director Ralph Cutie. "Parking is limited starting today, so we encourage passengers to use other methods or other methods of transportation such as Uber, Lyft, taxi public transportation and or family and friends."
Nationwide, 5.74 million people will fly to their July 4th destinations, up nearly 7% compared to last year and 12% more than in 2019, according to AAA.
Mornings will be the busiest time to fly over the holiday.
According to the travel website Hopper, "Wednesday, July 3rd will be the busiest day to depart with 3.5 million seats scheduled to depart from U.S. airports ahead of the holiday, while Sunday and Monday will be the busiest to return with over 3.7 million seats scheduled to bring passengers home from trips."
Taking off for the long holiday weekend. The Lollett family is heading to Boston.
"I mean, iit's Boston, you know. And so getting a chance to celebrate the history of the United States and see the fireworks there right by the Charles River is gonna be epic," said Carlos Lollett.
Lots of families are on the move this 4th of July weekend. In fact 4 and a half million Floridians will be traveling for the holiday — with nearly 4 million driving and 325,000 flying.
More than 4.5 million Floridians are expected to travel over the holiday, 3.9 million of those will hit the road.
According to AAA — the worst time to travel today and tomorrow is between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday evening.
We checked with Total Traffic and Weather to get the main Holiday Travel Hot spots. Expect to encounter traffic getting into the Keys — heading to Miami Beach as well as Fort Lauderdale Beach. It's the same taking the turnpike to Orlando, or Alligator Alley to the west coast.
Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3rd, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7th, as they return. Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights.
You can also plan your trip with FDOT's FL511.com. You can plan your trip, find the best route, how long it will take and have options to look at live cameras along your route.
AAA released the following regarding the best and worst times to travel:
Date | Worst Travel Time | Best Travel Time
Wednesday, Jul 3, 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. before noon
Thursday, Jul 4, 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. before noon
Friday, Jul 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 p.m. before 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, Jul 6, 10:30 AM - 2:30 p.m. before 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, Jul 7, 2:00 - 8:00 p.m., before 11:00 a.m.
Monday, Jul 8, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. after 7 p.m.
FDOT released the following information:
• In observance of Independence Day, there will be no lane or road closures for construction work on July 4.
• Several bridges across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway will be temporarily closed to marine navigation on July 4 due to local Independence Day celebrations.
These bridges include:
o Dania Beach Boulevard
o Sheridan Street
o Hollywood Beach Boulevard
o Hillsboro Boulevard
o Atlantic Avenue
o NE 14th Street
o E. Atlantic Boulevard
• Our Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC) will be monitoring the roadways 24/7and works with partner agencies to provide incident management and traveler information. For real-time traffic information and to view live traffic cameras, drivers can check https://fl511.com/.
• Our Road Rangers are out on the highways every day, driving congested areas to provide roadway assistance to holiday travelers. Road Rangers can help with changing flat tires, jump-starting vehicles, and supplying emergency gasoline, diesel and water. Drivers can dial *347 to request help.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Beryl is causing problems with some holiday plans. Flights to and from Jamaica have been canceled at Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International.
Several cruise companies, including Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, have re-routed their ships to avoid the dangerous weather.
Experts predict Beryl could increase the cost of U.S. gas by five to ten cents a gallon over the next week if it disrupts Gulf Coast oil refineries.