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Atlanta airport, interstates prepare for Fourth of July travel rush

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  June 30, 2023 5:57am EDT
Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta

Atlanta's airport gears up for Fourth of July

The world's busiest airport says it is ready take on an expected record-breaking weekend. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is gearing up as the Fourth of July travel period starts.

ATLANTA - The big Fourth of July travel rush is kicking into gear Friday.

The roads and skies are expected to be the busiest as travelers head out of metro Atlanta to enjoy the holiday weekend.

AAA is projecting a record-setting number of Georgians will be traveling for Independence Day. The auto association forecasts more than 1.6 million people from the Peach State will take at least one trip of 50 miles or more from Friday through the Fourth of July - 68,000 more than the record high set last year.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, officials expect hundreds of thousands of people to pass through on Friday alone.

BEST AND WORST TIMES FOR FOURTH OF JULY TRAVEL IN GEORGIA

The airport has made some changes to try and ease up congestion. There will be a 30-minute grace period at all parking lots where visitors can wait for travelers for free. The airport is also doubling the number of terminal-to-terminal shuttles to deal with the rush.

Staying safe on Georgia's waterways

Forecasters expect the long Fourth of July weekend will be a summer scorcher. Many will look for any relief to beat the heat, including heading to Lake Lanier. Game wardens are preparing to keep people safe on the water.

Airport officials want to remind all travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport and arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international trips.

While the airport may be busy, AAA says that nearly 85% of travelers are hitting the road for the holidays.

The Georgia Department of Transportation expects that metro Atlanta interstates will experience the highest traffic Friday.

The congestion could start as early as noon and will add up to 45 minutes on top of travelers' regular commutes.

Fourth of July weekend heat forecast

How hot will it get this weekend. The FOX 5 Storm Team is tracking the heat.

GDOT is suspending all lane closures on major highways to ease some of that congestion.

There is a bit of good news for drivers. The average price at the pump across Georgia is around 90 cents less than it was around this time in 2022.