MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) – Roads leading to area beaches were packed for hours Saturday as families headed out for the Fourth of July holiday, with bumper-to-bumper traffic stretching for miles.
Some visitors said they expected heavy crowds for Independence Day but said this year’s backups felt especially long, with some waiting well over an hour just to reach the beach.
Luis Martinez and Natalie Encripera, who were visiting the Suncoast, said they drove two and a half hours and woke up at 6 a.m. to try to get ahead of the crowds…