The Maine Turnpike Authority says it saw a dramatic spike in traffic this past holiday weekend compared to Memorial Day of 2020.

Preliminary numbers released Tuesday by the MTA show there were about 940,000 transactions on the Maine Turnpike for the period running Friday through Monday. That’s a 66.5% increase compared to 2020 when the pandemic put a halt to many travel plans.

That also brings the state close to pre-pandemic numbers, missing the mark set in 2019 by only about 7.5%.

Erin Courtney with the MTA says traffic was mostly smooth on Friday, but there were significant backups on Monday with many motorists leaving the state.

“These types of backups are indicative to us that summer and the tourists have arrived,” said Courtney. “Had the weather cooperated with us this year, I think we would have seen even more traffic on the road. We are hopeful that it is a sign that this summer is going to be a good one for everyone that relies on tourism.”