Record holiday traffic is seen

Planning to get an early start on the Independence Day weekend by leaving town this evening? You'll have plenty of company.

With sunny skies in the forecast and the Fourth of July falling on a Monday, a record number of drivers is expected to hit the roads starting this afternoon.

Some Cape Cod inns are reporting a flurry of last-minute calls from people hoping to escape for the weekend. The American Automobile Association of Southern New England forecasts that, despite high gas prices, 5.7 million people will drive at least 50 miles this weekend in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. That's a 6 percent jump from last year's Fourth of July.

''We're expecting the busiest holiday weekend ever," said Art Kinsman, spokesman for AAA. ''We're seeing a surge in New England specifically."

Traffic is expected to be worst this afternoon and evening and tomorrow afternoon and evening. Jeff Larson -- general manager of SmartRoutes Systems, a Cambridge firm that monitors traffic for the Massachusetts Highway Department and local media outlets -- predicted that motorists will jam the roads tonight.

''What we've been seeing the last couple of years is that Thursday, no matter what the holiday, is really becoming the escape day," Larson said. ''With people trying to extend out the holiday weekend, Thursdays are really much busier than they used to be."

Larson suggested drivers leave this morning to avoid the crush or go tomorrow morning.

Kinsman said the harsh winter and chilly, rainy spring have produced a pent-up demand for vacations, now that hot weather is finally in place.

''People are roaring to get out now," he said. ''I would imagine with this record number of travelers, you're going to see record traffic jams, certainly Friday night and Monday night."

Cape Cod innkeeprs interviewed yesterday said they have seen an uptick in reservation inquiries, with a high number of folks attempting to plan last-minute escapes for the Fourth.

''Our July 4 business is as robust as it's ever been," said David Sanford, owner of the Crowne Point Historic Inn & Spa in Provincetown, who sold out his 40 rooms four months ago and has turned away hundreds of callers this week. ''We did notice a boost in calls from the year previous. . . . Everybody's sold out."

Petya Hadzhiyska, a clerk at the Queen Anne Inn & Resort in Chatham, said that many would-be vacationers are finding themselves ''absolutely out of luck." Her 35 rooms have long been booked for the entire week.

Hadzhiyska said she's also seen an increase in late bookings.

''People are calling trying to make reservations for the coming weekend," she said. ''They are not planning their vacations long before they go."

Kristen McMenamy, vice president of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, predicted a strong weekend. She suggested that those bound for the Cape tomorrow try to ''get over the bridges before noon" or wait until after 9 p.m.

The Massachusetts Highway Department has placed a moratorium on road work from noon tomorrow to noon Tuesday to help smooth the flow of traffic.

Jon Carlisle, a state Highway Department spokesman, said motorists in Eastern Massachusetts will encounter a few lane closings due to long-term projects. Hot spots include Interstate 195 in Fall River, Interstate 290 in Worcester, and the Marston Street interchange of Interstate 495 near Lawrence, where bridge replacement and other work reduce available travel lanes.

The Independence Day holiday period is the deadliest time to be traveling on US highways, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. More Americans die in vehicle crashes July 4 than any other day of the year. July 3 ranks second.

That fact and the projected surge in holiday traffic this year have state police agencies across New England stepping up patrols. Massachusetts State Police are holding a press conference this morning in Framingham with their counterparts from neighboring states to highlight an aggressive enforcement effort dubbed CARE, or Combined Accident Reduction Effort, which starts today.

Last year, a similar effort was credited when Massachusetts tallied only three holiday weekend deaths, the lowest number in a decade.

Lucas Wall can be reached at lwall@globe.com.