Here they come! The tourists flock back to Maine this long weekend and our friends at the Maine Turnpike are expecting traffic levels to be much heavier than last year.

The Maine Turnpike Authority expects traffic to be up 76 percent over last year's Memorial Day weekend when 564,000 vehicles traveled the Turnpike. Of course, May of 2020 is when the pandemic was kicking into high gear.  This weekend, the MTA expects 984,000 vehicles. Amazingly, that's only 3% lower than the Memorial Day Weekend numbers from 2019. Maine is back baby!

Whan Will Traffic Be The Heaviest on the Maine Turnpike This Weekend?

Nothbound- Friday between 4pm and 8pm

Southbound-Monday afternoon with the traffic most heavy at the Maine-New Hampshire border.

The MTA reminds you to stay the the posted speed limits, especially in Work Zones.The Maine Turnpike State Farm Safety Patrol will be up and down the Turnpike all weekend, helping stranded motorists.

The Maine Turnpike is a designated Gold Star Highway. Something to keep in mind as your travel this Memorial Day Weekend:

This Memorial Day, the MTA salutes the women and men who gave their lives in defense of our country, and the families they left behind. The Maine Turnpike was designated the Gold Star Memorial Highway in 1965 to commemorate the valor and sacrifice of those who died in service to our country.  The Gold Star was worn by American mothers instead of conventional mourning clothes during World War I.  The display of gold star banners in homes began in World War II and it is a tradition that has been carried through every war thereafter. 

Also of note: If you are coming in from another state, know that untreated out-of-state wood is banned. Just buy Maine firewood-you'll see lots for sale as you head upta camp!

CHECK OUT THE LIVE CAMERAS ON THE TURNPIKE HERE

 

 

 

LOOK: See the iconic cars that debuted the year you were born

 

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

 

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