PORTLAND — The Maine Turnpike Authority anticipates a steady stream of traffic on its roadway leading up to Independence Day next Thursday.

MTA expects traffic to grow by approximately 1.3 percent over last year’s Fourth of July travel, with more than 700,000 transactions along the Maine Turnpike between Friday and Saturday alone.

From January through May 2019, the turnpike has seen a 3.34 percent growth in traffic compared to the same period in 2018.

In fact, 2018 marked the busiest year in Maine Turnpike history. With heavy traffic expected on the road over the week of the Fourth of July, MTA urges motorists to be aware of peak times, plan accordingly, and drive safely.

Motorists can expect traffic to be heavy northbound on Friday, with the peak hours between 4 and 8 p.m. Traffic on Saturday northbound is expected to be heavy between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday is expected to also be another day with high traffic volumes as people arrive just before the holiday.

“Because the 4th of July falls on Thursday this year, it changes the flow of incoming traffic and spreads out people’s arrivals — their departures on the other hand are likely to remain consistent,” said MTA spokesperson Erin Courtney, “We expect traffic to be heaviest southbound on Sunday, July 7 as both week-long vacationers and long-weekenders all head home.”

She said that motorists can expect southbound traffic on Sunday to be heaviest between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., particularly at the York Toll Plaza.

Construction related lane closures will vary by location next week with none scheduled on Thursday, July 4.

“Motorists will still need to use caution as they drive through a number of active construction projects out on the road,” said Courtney. “We ask that motorists drive safely and pay special attention when traveling through work zones as lanes may be narrowed and speed limits are lower.”