LaGuardia Airport Warns Travelers To Arrive Early Due To Weekend Construction
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – LaGuardia Airport put out a warning for travelers Friday, saying to get there early if you want to avoid trouble.
Once again, construction is interfering with travelers' summer vacation plans, and routes in and out of the airport are getting clogged.
The warning was released after gridlock forced some fliers to haul their bags along the highway Thursday, CBSN New York's Dave Carlin reports.
The airport said hundreds of flights were canceled due to Thursday evenings bad weather, forcing people to compete for ways out.
Video shows vehicles stuck in long lines of traffic and some people apparently grew desperate. They ditched their taxis and ride-share vehicles, grabbed their heavy luggage and walked through the streets and out of the airport.
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Friday morning, some passengers told CBS2 they were glad they allowed themselves extra time to get to the terminals.
"It was bumper to bumper," Kasie King, a tourist from Norman, Oklahoma, said. "Construction's been going on for a couple years because we've been coming and it just seems like it's just more and more every time."
Mark Charest told CBS2 he left his house in Brewster, New York, at 7:45 a.m. to make sure he didn't miss his 11:20 a.m. flight.
"It's part of getting around New York. You just have to leave yourself plenty of time," he said.
CBS2 has been told weekend construction may challenge some drivers heading to LaGuardia, including temporary relocated exits off the westbound Grand Central Parkway on Saturday.