Almost a million Virginians are expected to travel over Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer, even as forecasters try to gauge how closely Hurricane Earl will sweep past the East Coast.

"We know some travelers are headed to the shore. The storm will impact those travelers in some way," said Martha Meade, a spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

About 930,000 people will hit the road, up 9 percent from the same weekend last year, AAA Mid-Atlantic said. Of those, about 860,000 will be driving.

The National Weather Service has forecasted the storm will pass Virginia toward New England by Saturday morning.

State authorities have responded by readying National Guard troops in case the hurricane hits shore, beefing up police patrols and clearing constrictions from highways.

On Thursday, Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency.

Some 75 percent of the Virginia State Police's troopers will be monitoring aggressive or drunk driving from this morning until Monday night, Sgt. Rob Carpentieri said. And Roanoke officers will be on roving patrols in areas known to be prone to DUI arrests and alcohol-related crashes, police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson said.

No lanes of major highways will be closed for maintenance from noon today until noon Tuesday. Drivers should expect jams in the eight-mile overlap of Interstate 77 and Interstate 81 in Wythe County as thousands of people converge for the Hillsville Flea Market and Gun Show and late-summer vacationers travel from the Carolinas toward the Midwest, said Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Heidi Underwood.

"I'm making sure that my gas is full and stocking up on cigarettes and extra drinks," said Jim Powell, who owns the Pure Country Convenience Store, about a quarter-mile from I-81 and I-77 in Wythe County. "I'm also bringing in a third person to work to make sure we can help everyone."