ATLANTA — As Hurricane Milton prepares to make a catastrophic impact on Florida's west coast, many residents of the state are evacuating north to Georgia, following Gov. Ron DeSantis's orders.
Because of that, Georgia's interstates, especially Interstate 75, are seeing an exponential increase in traffic.
The Georgia Department of Transportation released data that shows traffic is up four times higher than historical averages on several interstates.
According to GDOT, traffic volumes on I-75 north were up 280% higher than normal between the Georgia-Florida state line and Macon as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
GDOT added that traffic volumes on I-95 north, near coastal Georgia between the Georgia-Florida state line and I-16, were up 89% higher than normal.
Despite the sheer number of cars on the roads on both interstates, GDOT reported that, fortunately, speeds on both highways were normal, averaging 74 mph on I-75 and 71 mph on I-95.
GDOT reported that traffic on both interstates was even higher on Monday, with traffic up 342% on I-75 and 264% on I-95.
I-75 southbound express lanes will remain open for northbound drivers through the end of Tuesday before switching back on Wednesday.
11Alive's traffic expert, Crash Clark, explained these delays and what drivers approaching I-75 should expect.
Watch Crash Clark's full traffic report in the video below: