West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Parkways Authority is getting ready for a busy, five-day Easter holiday travel weekend along the West Virginia Turnpike.
Parkways officials are predicting 565,000 transactions from Thursday, March 28, 2024, through Monday April 1, 2024. The busiest day is expected to be on Friday, March 29, 2024 (Good Friday), with 135,000 anticipated transactions. Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, is predicted to be the lightest day of the weekend with 90,000 transactions.
Easter Sunday 2024 falls on March 31, which was the same date for Easter in 2013. Parkways leaders looked at the 2013 numbers, year-to-date travel numbers, and previous years’ transactions to make their 2024 forecast.
“Early weather forecasts indicate mid to high 50s during the day with a slight chance of rain, that could mainly just affect which day of that week experiences the most travel,” said Jeff Miller, West Virginia Parkways Authority Executive Director. “Right now we expect Friday, March 29, to be the busiest travel day. Please plan your trip accordingly and expect high volumes of traffic during peak travel times.”
The estimated transactions for the 2024 Easter holiday weekend are as follows:
Thursday, March 28, 2024 125,000
Friday, March 29, 2024 (Good Friday) 135,000
Saturday, March 30, 2024 95,000
Sunday, March 31, 2024 (Easter) 90,000
Monday, April 1, 2024 120,000
Miller reminds drivers that E-ZPass is the quickest and most economical way to travel along the West Virginia Turnpike. Gov. Jim Justice announced the E-ZPass Single Fee plan in 2018 to help drivers save money on tolls.
The Single Fee Discount Program costs $26.25 per year (plus $13 transponder fee) for unlimited use of the West Virginia Turnpike.