Pennsylvania Turnpike expects nearly 700,000 vehicles on road for busiest day of Thanksgiving travel
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Wednesday was expected to be a busy day on the Pennsylvania Turnpike ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission expected 680,000 drivers to be on the road Wednesday.
The commission said the projections for this year are slightly higher than last year's and it's trying to ensure that people can move along the highway as smoothly as possible. Roadwork is currently suspended through Sunday night in an effort to keep as many lanes open as possible.
Drivers said it was relatively smooth sailing. While there may not be any one-horse open sleighs, there were plenty of people dashing through the wooded Pennsylvania hillsides.
"Easy, nice and comfortable drive so far," Bob Wittbrot said on his drive from Cleveland to Woodstock, Virginia.
The Oakmont/Plum service plaza along the turnpike was a welcomed escape for drivers and passengers.
"This was a nice break to stretch my legs and get a coffee," Erinn English said on her ride down from Detroit.
All day it was organized chaos in the parking lot. Cars moved into spaces as soon as one pulled out. Once back on the highway, drivers had to keep an extra eye on their speed.
"Lot of police, though. Lot of police," Maarten Buma of Cleveland said.
According to drivers, there was a noticeable level of officers and state troopers on the roads.
"We saw quite a few people getting pulled over, yeah. Not us yet. So far," Nancy McRae said while stopped along the turnpike.
Cruise control was a friend for many on the road. The weather also proved to be on their side as there was no major hiccups in the Pittsburgh area.
"We were hoping it would be nice weather," Joseph Gloecker of Ohio said.
Just about everyone had a destination that was still several hours away, if not several states away. The short relief of a restroom or snack quickly turned back into squeezing into the car. Trying to stay entertained on these drivers is half the battle for passengers.
"Cover my eyes sometimes," Robyn Buma of Cleveland said.
"A little bit of reading. Get out a book. An old fashion book that nobody reads anymore," McRae said.
Even though Wednesday might be grabbing whatever snack in a rush on the road, the promise of Thursday's feast with family and loved ones keeps drivers and passengers going.
Nationally, AAA says nearly 80 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, nearly two million more than last year, and two million more than 2019.
This Thanksgiving travel season has been a continuation of what we've seen all year long with an upward trend, whether it's by car, by train, or by plane.
"Travel has been booming the entire year," said Tiffany Stanley with AAA. "This Thanksgiving, we can expect record breaking numbers for travel."
