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Posted on 05/24/2003 6:07:19 AM PDT by petuniasevan
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11 minutes ago
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Americans by the millions, undeterred by a soggy economy and an elevated terror alert, are hitting the highways, airways and rails this Memorial Day weekend. AAA predicts record numbers of travelers on the road for what is traditionally the kickoff of the summer driving season.
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Travel in the Midwest was complicated when a bridge over Interstate 80 collapsed in Nebraska after being hit by a semi-trailer. The accident, which killed the driver, shut down a 10-mile stretch of the interstate.
A series of pileups involving nearly 90 vehicles killed two people in western Maryland on Friday, and 17 miles of Interstate 68 were shut down. Fog and rain hampered cleanup efforts, but officials hoped to reopen the highway by late Saturday afternoon.
An Associated Press poll found that most travelers weren't going to let worries about terrorism and the economy interfere with plans this year. But Americans were more likely to drive to their holiday destinations than before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
Four of five in the AP poll said problems with the economy and terrorism will have no effect on their vacation plans. Some others said they would postpone or cut back vacation travel, but only one in 20 said he would cancel those plans, according to the poll conducted for the AP by ICR/International Communications Research of Media, Pa.
On Interstate 80 in Nebraska, both eastbound and westbound traffic was being rerouted around the Big Springs interchange after the deadly accident, the State Patrol said.
"We're completely packed right now," said Stanley Crandell, assistant manager at the Bosselman Travel Center in Big Springs. "Just a lot of people wanting to know how to get around and keep going to Denver."
Chris Peterson, an aide to Gov. Mike Johanns, initially estimated the interstate would be cleared by Saturday morning, but revised that after officials arrived on scene and saw the damage.
"The bridge fell in such a way that it won't be easily cleared," Peterson said. "It's too early to determine how early the interstate will reopen, the assessment is under way."
Just west of Big Springs is the Interstate 80-Interstate 76 interchange. Interstate 76 is the main route to Denver from Nebraska.
In Finzel, Md., thick fog lingered over Interstate 68 on Saturday morning as crews cleared away the wreckage that left two dead and injured dozens.
A jumble of cars, trucks and tractor-trailers jammed the roadway and shoulders after the pileups began along a fog-shrouded mountain ridge Friday afternoon.
One of the victims was killed after leaving his vehicle to escape the pileup, police said. At least 60 other people were injured.
"The magnitude of vehicles and the damage and devastation was mind-boggling," said Cpl. Rob Moroney, a state police spokesman.
Visibility was near zero atop Big Savage Mountain, an Appalachian ridge in Garrett County where the accidents occurred, county Emergency Director Brad Frantz said.
In the AP poll, some suggested the economy's performance would make them welcome a vacation even more. Just over one in 10 said they would postpone or scale down their vacation plans.
Twenty-five percent of those polled said they plan in-state vacations, while almost six in 10, 58 percent, said they plan to travel to another state. Fifteen percent said they would travel outside the country.
The number vacationing by car jumped from fewer than half in May 2001 to about six in 10 a year later, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It remains at that level in this poll.
Just over a fourth, 27 percent, said they would travel by plane, down from a third in 2001.
About half said they would spend the same amount on their vacation this year as they did last year, and the remainder were about evenly split whether they would spend more or less than last year.
The new poll was taken May 14-18 of 1,020 adults and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points. It was taken before the Bush administration raised the terror alert to high early this week. This is the fourth time the terror alert has been raised to high.
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