During the week leading up to Memorial Day, more than 884,000 vehicles passed through toll booths on the West Virginia Turnpike.
Many travelers took advantage of West Virginia's tourism opportunities on their trip, visiting destinations like the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, or taking a scenic drive along the newly christened Seneca Skyway, which takes US 219 and WV 92 through the Potomac Highlands.
The Turnpike experienced heavier than expected traffic on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, and Wednesday, May 25, 2022. From Monday, May 23, 2022, through Monday, May 30, 2022, 884,104 vehicles went through the toll booths.
“Thursday and Friday were still our big days,” said Jeff Miller, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority. On those two travel days, 268,237 vehicles used the Turnpike.
Miller thinks heavy rains forecast for Thursday, May 26, 2022, may have encouraged some holiday travelers to plan their trips earlier in the week, spreading out the usual holiday rush.
Motorists experienced few disruptions over Memorial Day weekend. “We had a really smooth weekend,” Miller said. “There were no significant delays.”