Going out of town for Labor Day weekend? Experts say this is the worst SoCal freeway to travel on

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Friday will be the busiest travel day of the Labor Day weekend as thousands of people head out of town on Southern California freeways and roads.

The Automobile Club of Southern California says 32% of Americans plan to travel for the holiday weekend. While many will head to airports, the vast majority - 82% - are expected to travel by car.

Travel experts say road traffic is expected to increase by 41% this weekend and there are some trouble spots to avoid. AAA says the worst local freeway will be the southbound 5 Freeway from Colorado Street down to Florence Avenue in Downey.

The worst time to be there in your car will be between 4:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. The best time to hit the road is after 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, more than 450,000 people are expected to depart from LAX over the holiday weekend.

"This Labor Day weekend is going to be the busiest that LAX has seen since 2020," said Victoria Spilabotte, public information officer for the airport.

For Southern California travelers, the top destinations are expected to be Las Vegas, San Diego, Orlando, Alaska, Fort Lauderdale, Nashville, Hawaii and Europe.

City News Service contributed to this report.