The unofficial start of summer is here, and many North Carolinians will be hitting the road for an early vacation this weekend.

AAA Carolinas is projecting that 1.3 million North Carolinians will be traveling this weekend. That would be the highest travel volume recorded for Memorial Day since AAA began tracking in 2000.

While the large majority of those travelers will be on the state’s roadways, there are projected bumps in air travel and other modes of transportation including cruises, trains and buses.

Gas prices are lower in the Tar Heel State than last Memorial Day. Prices recently averaged $2.62 per gallon in North Carolina, when compared to $2.80 average last year.

Late afternoon on Friday is expected to be the most congested travel period of the long weekend, according to AAA, estimating travel times on major roads could be more than three times longer than normal.

More than 3,400 crashes occurred in the state last Memorial Day weekend, leading to 17 fatalities.

AAA is encouraging drivers to follow traffic laws while driving and to avoid distracted driving, as well as checking vehicle maintenance before heading out of the road to avoid mechanical issues.

Major construction projects are typically put on hold by the North Carolina Department of Transportation during heavy travel weekends. You can get the latest on construction projects from the state by visiting the DOT’s website.

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