What Georgians should know before taking off on spring break trips
It’s time.
Spring break begins Monday for public schools across metro Atlanta, which means the roads and airport will be congested Friday with families trying to skip town for sun and fun.
Traveling by air this year could be more complicated than normal given the recent spike in security waits at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport due to TSA worker shortages.
Air travel cheat sheet
The last few days at the Atlanta airport have been blessedly quiet after weeks of abnormally long security lines caused by the partial government shutdown.
But airport officials warn travelers not to get complacent ahead of spring break.
This Friday is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the month for Hartsfield-Jackson, officials say, with some 95,000 people forecast to go through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. (Hundreds of thousands more will connect.)
On Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, Hartsfield-Jackson officials recommend allowing two and a half hours for domestic travel and three hours for international trips.
Next weekend could also be busy, as Masters golf tournament travelers head home, TSA union officials warn.
The AJC has a live security wait times tracking tool, which can be a good indicator of how long lines are at any given moment.
Best road travel times
Georgia Department of Transportation officials are warning motorists of heavy traffic in metro Atlanta’s interstates from 12 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Sunday. Officials expect congestion on I-16 in both directions near Savannah, as well as on I-16, I-475 and I-75 near Macon. The Peach Pass is accepted in the express lanes in Florida, where many Georgians are expected to travel.
Before you get anywhere near the Downtown Connector, check 511 Georgia. It’s the Department of Transportation’s source for real-time traffic and travel updates. It will tell you where there are crashes, construction and congestion all over the state.
Gas prices have dropped slightly since Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Georgia’s gas tax for 60 days. They’re about 60 cents a gallon higher than they were at this point last spring break.
Road work
One bit of good news for motorists is interstate lane closures will be suspended from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. While lane closures are suspended, construction crews may be near roadways and some long-term lane closures could remain in place for safety reasons.
Where are Georgians going?
The top domestic destinations, according to AAA Georgia, are: Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Anaheim/Los Angeles and Tampa.
The most popular international destinations are: Rome, Paris, Cancun, Amsterdam and London.
By the numbers
$3.63 - the average gas price for regular fuel in Georgia.
36 - the percentage of Georgians who are planning Spring Break travel.
47 - the percentage of Georgians who plan to visit a beach destination.
27 - the percentage of Georgians planning to visit a theme park.
17 - percentage of Georgians who plan to take an ocean/large cruise.
Source: AAA Georgia.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect revised estimates issued by Hartsfield-Jackson on Thursday morning.
About the Authors
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
