PHOENIX -- A chicken trying to cross Interstate 17 just south of the Carefree Highway backed up northbound traffic for over an hour Friday morning, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.

DPS units were finally able to conduct a traffic break and retrieve the chicken by about 11:40 a.m.

Traffic was backed up from the Carefree Highway to the junction of S.R. 101 partially due to the incident, officers said. Traffic is now clearing out in the area.

Elsewhere, traffic on State Route 87 northbound into the Payson area is also heavy, DPS said.

In general, motorists traveling to the various recreation areas in the high country and area lakes should plan on heavy traffic and greatly increased travel times.

Customs Hopes For Few Port Delays

Customs spokesmen said on Friday they'll be doing their best to keep delays to a minimum for holiday weekend travelers returning from Mexico through Arizona's ports, but some backups are likely.

And the delays probably won't be because people aren't complying with new, stricter identification requirements -- because most are.

Rather, it's a three-day holiday weekend.

"If I were to hazard a guess, I would say it's going to be pretty busy all weekend," said Brian Levin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman at the Nogales ports of entry.

"Normally, we see an increase on weekends for tourism anyway, so if you add in holiday traffic, I would expect to see an increase on Friday and Saturday."

A year ago, traffic through Nogales' two ports peaked on Thursday, July 3, at just under 8,800 vehicles, Levin said.

About 115 miles west of Nogales, the port at Lukeville serves as the gateway for travelers from Phoenix and Tucson heading for Puerto Penasco, or Rocky Point. "During the week at Lukeville, we might see 800 or 900 vehicles," Levin said. "On a holiday, we can see 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles come through" -- resulting in 1 1/2-to 2-hour waits for northbound traffic.

The dramatic difference between normal weekday and holiday traffic through Lukeville explains why there are significant delays, he added. But the improvement in reducing those waits also has been dramatic.

"Three years ago, we had an eight-hour delay on Memorial Day, and we've cut that down to two hours," Levin said.

U.S. citizens must show a passport card, passport, enhanced driver's license or be a member of the government's trusted traveler programs for frequent business travelers.

"There has been an above-90 percent compliance rate from the get-go," Levin said. That's echoed at the San Luis port of entry.

"I would venture to say it's in the high 90s," Customs spokeswoman Teresa Small said. "We're thankful that people have been compliant and urge those who have not been to just get on the bandwagon" and apply for the proper documents. But officials said American citizens without the documentation aren't and won't be turned away for now.

CBP's Web site carries port delays. In Nogales, an AM radio low-frequency transmitter provides travel advisories and delays and related information on a recurring loop.

And along U.S. 95 between Gadsden and San Luis, a highway billboard advises citizens to have their documents before they leave the country.