Numerous schools and colleges around Alabama and across the country are out for the spring break holiday this weekend. Beaches along the state’s Gulf Coast are top destinations during the vacation period. This means the coastline along the Yellowhammer State is seeing an uptick in visitors.
The spring break crowds are expected to stick around through the end of April. With the extra tourism, Alabamians and out-of-state visitors should prepare for congested interstates and extra traffic on the roads.
“Typically, the most travel days for a holiday period like spring break is going to occur on the ends of those holidays, the weekends on each end of that week,” said Clay Ingram, spokesman for AAA Alabama. “So, you know that that Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the beginning of that week will be very busy. And then the same for the backhand weekend. In the days in between, we'll be busy, but you won't see the level of traffic and the congestion that you see on the weekend surrounding that holiday.”
Ingram explained bumper-to-bumper traffic is always common this time of the year in Alabama. He said the least busy times on the roads are typically early in the morning or later in the evening after 8:00 p.m.
“The roads in South Alabama just aren't set up for a large influx of people into the beach area,” Ingram said. “So, those roads get backed up going through some of those smaller towns down there toward the Gulf Coast. can be very frustrating, very intimidating, to get stuck in that traffic. Nowadays, it's hard to not get stuck in it. There's so many people that are headed to the beach. [It’s] become so popular in the last five or six years that the travel industry can't keep up with the demand.”
It's not just people from Alabama that go to the Gulf Coast. Ingram said the influx of traffic on roads across the Yellowhammer State comes from both traveling locals and out-out-town tourists.
“There are people from all over the country that go to the Gulf Coast during spring break, and the vast majority of them have to go through Alabama to get there,” Ingram explained. “So, that means our interstates are congested and full and bumper-to-bumper traffic a lot of times. Just be prepared for that. It's going to take longer to get to your destination.”
Ingram also reports that gas prices aren’t stopping spring breakers in Alabama and across the nation from going to their destinations. He said the cost of fuel typically has a low impact on spring break travel.
“If you're planning a vacation, your gasoline expense is a relatively small portion of your overall expense of your vacation budget,” he explained. “The good news is gas prices right now are a little bit less than they were this time last year. [There] about 10 cents a gallon less. So, that'll make it a little easier for everybody that's planning to hit the road.”
The spring break holiday period runs through the end of April. Travel safety resources from the state of Alabama, including being prepared in the event of severe weather, a medical emergency or other health and safety issues, can be found here.
