Millions Of Drivers Hitting The Road For Labor Day Weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- You can expect some busy roads for the Labor Day weekend, as people get away for one last trip for the summer.
Nearly 8 million vehicles will use the Illinois tollways to get to their weekend destination.
One traveler said, in spite of the horrible timing, he's heading to the hurricane zone. Orlando Jordan, of Gurnee, stopped at the Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway, while headed to the Gulf Coast for the weekend.
Regardless of the threat of tropical storms, he said he's taking the trip.
Sashi Chakri, Anudeep Borugaeea and their families were heading from Rockford to Niagara Falls, and stopped at the Lincoln Oasis for a restroom and coffee break.
"This is the first time for the falls. We are going as two families," Borugaeea said. "There's too much traffic, so going with families, you need to be a little cautious about how you drive, so as much as you can, you have power naps so that you don't feel sleepy."
Most construction and lane closures will be restricted for the holiday weekend to ease traffic congestion, but drivers should still watch their speed, because there will be plenty of police keeping an eye on the road.
Police will be conducting roadside safety checks, patrolling for impaired drivers, and setting up seat belt checks.
Last Labor Day weekend, 13 people died in crashes along Illinois highways, including three drivers with alcohol in their systems.
Meantime, if your vehicle becomes disabled on an Illinois highway or tollway, you can dial *999 from your cell phone to get help.
