Traffic snarled on Chattanooga's interstates Friday as the city began what is expected to be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Motorists faced delays on Interstate 24 and Interstate 75 beginning mid-afternoon on Friday, and the slowdowns continued well after rush hour.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation noted high traffic volumes on I-24 eastbound as the highway came into Chattanooga for much of the day, and at 4:30 p.m. a multi-vehicle crash on I-75 in Brainerd stalled traffic for about two hours.
About 4.9 million drivers will take to the roads this weekend in Tennessee and Georgia, according to the American Automobile Association - and that's just a slice of the 91.3 million drivers expected to hit the road across the nation during the 12-day, year-end holiday season.
The weekend before Christmas is typically busier than the weekend after Christmas, said Stephanie Milani, a spokeswoman for AAA Tennessee, because drivers tend to make the return trip on various dates after the holiday.
She said the stronger economy and low gas prices are pushing more drivers to the roadways.
"People are traveling a little more because they have more disposable income," she said. "Some people are choosing to travel, some are choosing to spend it on gifts and some are just putting it in the bank to pad their rainy day fund. We do think that is definitely encouraging some people who were on the fence about traveling to get out on the road."
And as those drivers hit the road, the Tennessee Highway Patrol is conducting a special operation to target drunken and impaired drivers. On Wednesday, the law enforcement agency reminded Tennessee drivers that the state's seat belt fine will more than double on Jan. 1.
After the New Year, fines will increase from $10 to $25 for a first offense and from $20 to $50 for a second offense.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.