PORTLAND, Maine—Maine Turnpike officials say the threat of Hurricane Earl led to a drop-off in turnpike traffic over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
The Maine Turnpike Authority says northbound traffic Friday -- when Earl was making its way into the New England region -- at the York toll plaza was down 18.7 percent from the same day last year.
On Monday, the number of vehicles driving southbound through the plaza on their way out-of-state was down 4.8 percent from Labor Day in 2009.
Still, officials say overall turnpike traffic has been up this summer, by 3 percent in June, 4.5 percent in July and 2 percent in August.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
