Gov. Whitmer helps 3 million Michiganders travel easier ahead of July 4th holiday

Local 4 is taking you on the road before the busiest travel day kicks off ahead of the 4th of July.

Wednesday (July 3) and Sunday, July 7, 2024, are the busiest travel days as millions of Michiganders are gearing up to hit the roads. If you’re heading out, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is offering assistance.

AAA estimates nearly three million Michiganders will be traveling for the holiday. The good news is you won’t see too many orange cones come Wednesday.

People everywhere are getting ready for holiday travel, like Bob Fines, who bought fireworks Tuesday and was ready to hit the road Wednesday morning.

“I’m going to Indiana,” said Fines. “We usually try to leave around 2 a.m., so we go in between traffic.”

Fines is not the only one traveling out of state. Wednesday is expected to be the busiest travel day of the week, both on the road and in the sky.

“It’s gonna be busy out there,” said AAA spokesperson Alec Slatky. “Make sure you prepare for delays no matter where you might be.”

“As an agency nationwide, we’re gonna be this summer,” said TSA Federal Security Director Christopher Murgia.

July 7 is also expected to be another super busy day of travel as Michiganders return home. As a result, Whitmer is working to make road travel easier by removing most orange barrels on nearly 60% of roadways.

It could help Mike Shookman, who’s on the fence about making the 10-hour trip to NYC with his two daughters.

“My inlaws are in New York, so the question is, ‘How badly do I want to see them,’” said Shookman. “Again, that leads into, like, ‘How can I bother my inlaws?’ If I can get them a citation in the city of New York, it’ll be awesome. The girls would like to have some fireworks shows in the city. New York is a great geography for the 4th of July, so we’ll take this stuff with us if we can.”

With many more people having the flexibility to work remotely, you can expect people to leave sooner in the week. Remember to give yourself plenty of time and be safe.