Here are worst, best times to hit the road Labor Day weekend

Traveling on Labor Day weekend? You might want to give yourself more time before hitting the road.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that Labor Day this year could be the the busiest ever.

Costs of flights are down, and the price of car rentals and gas are cooling off, creating the perfect scenario for super-congested roads and airports.

When should you travel for Labor Day?

The afternoon and early evening hours of Aug. 29 and 30 will be the most congested, according to INRIX , a provider of transportation data and insight. Here are the worst and best times to hit the road:

Worst and best times to travel by car

Labor Day traffic around New Jersey

• Northbound Garden State Parkway, leaving from the Jersey Shore: 2:15 p.m. Friday; 40% more traffic than last year is expected.
• Southbound Pennsylvania Turnpike, leaving from The Poconos: 8:30 a.m. Monday; 35% more traffic expected over last year.

Labor Day weekend road closures

• NJ 71 in Monmouth County: The right shoulder will be closed going northbound just south of Parker Road (West Long Branch) from Aug. 28 to 1 p.m. Sept. 4.
• Route 22 in Union County: Westbound left lane and shoulder will be closed from 9 p.m. Aug. 29 until 6 a.m. Sept. 30. The lane closure starts right after the Hibachi Steakhouse in Mountainside.
• The Port Authority of NY and NJ announced it is suspending nonemergency repair work at crossings between New York and New Jersey to accommodate higher traffic volume.

Gas prices in New Jersey

Currently the average price per gallon in New Jersey stands at $3.24 compared to $3.67 last year, according to AAA.

If you are planning to travel from New Jersey to a neighboring state, you might want to fill your tank here. The New Jersey average price per gallon is about 25 cents cheaper than gas in neighboring states.

These are the average gas prices per gallon around New Jersey:

• Monmouth, Ocean counties: $3.27
• Atlantic County: $3.19
• Cape May County: $3.43
• Burlington County: $3.18
• Camden County: $3.13
• Middlesex County: $3.23
• Hudson County: $3.29
• Warren County: $3.21
• Mercer County: $3.27

Labor Day weekend: Airport travel

The TSA says to expect longer wait times at airports, with 8.5% more passenger traffic than last year.

“People are traveling more than ever this summer and TSA along with our airline and airport partners stand ready to close the busiest summer travel period on record during this upcoming Labor Day weekend,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.

Domestic airfares are cheaper this holiday with international flights down about 8%, the agency said.

Give yourself extra time to avoid mishaps due to longer lines at TSA checkpoints.

Rental cars: Things to know

All rental car companies at Newark Liberty International Airport now operate out of the new consolidated rental car center that sits within the Parking A garage on levels 1 through 3. All rental transactions, including returns, take place at this new center. To get there, the facility is connected to the airport's terminals B and C via AirTrain, and to terminal A via a pedestrian bridge.

Public Transit

From 12:01 a.m. Aug. 31 to 11:59 p.m. Sep. 1, Path trains between Newark-Penn Station and Journal Square will operate every 40 minutes in both directions due to track replacement and maintenance.

For more on NJ Transit's holiday schedule, visit https://www.njtransit.com/holiday-service-guide .

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Here are worst, best times to hit the road Labor Day weekend