Hopefully you’re on your way to go somewhere fun this Fourth of July weekend!
“We’re going to Orlando,” Giovanni Gonzalez, of Waterbury, said.
Many have the right idea this holiday weekend, saying goodbye to Connecticut and hello to new destinations.
“Family reunion,” Elizabeth Smith, of Manchester, said when we asked her where she was off to.
“There’s a parade we go to every year, Red Sox, fireworks,” Donna Chalfant, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, said.
Bradley Airport was bustling on Wednesday. Some were getting there three hours before their flight.
“It’s a little mini vacation before our vacation,” Gonzalez said.
Others say they were pleasantly surprised by how smooth the day was, which is notorious for big crowds.
“We were actually nervous cause we thought it was going to be crowded, but it’s actually perfect,” Smith said.
We checked out the roads too. As of Wednesday morning, things were going smoothly from what we could see.
“Haven’t hit any traffic so it’s been easy,” Rafael Rodriguez, visiting from Maryland, said.
Many driving by car told us they’re having a stress-free road trip, too. But experts say you can expect some snags in our state.
AAA said in Connecticut alone, more than 739,000 people will travel out-of-state, which is a roughly 2% increase from last year.
“My day’s travel is about 300 miles by the time we get home tonight,” Cynthia Fritzinger, visiting from New Hampshire, said.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation said the weekend of the Fourth is also known for impaired driving.
Last year, there were around 60 impaired driving crashes and one fatality over the holiday weekend.
“Urging everyone, please, if you’re planning to go out and celebrate, make a plan and celebrate responsibly,” Eva Zymaris, of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said.
She said impaired driving accounts for 35 to 40% of Connecticut fatalities on the road every year.
