Ohio Triple-A predicts the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005 over the next five days in Ohio and a record number of Ohioans flying to their destinations.
The auto club predicts nearly 2.3 million Ohioans will travel at least 50 miles from home between Wednesday and Sunday. Spokesperson Kimberly Schwind says nearly 195,000 Ohioans are expected to fly, a 5.6 percent increase.
“Across the country we are also looking at more people flying, so it’s going to be very busy in all of the airports no matter where you are going,” Schwind said. “We have several weather systems moving across the country that have already caused some flight delays and cancelations. So wherever you are flying, you could see a ripple effect across the country where your flight could be delayed or canceled. So you want to get to the airport in plenty of time. We’re recommending at least two hours ahead of your flight. Before you get to the airport, make sure you check your flight status so you are prepared.”
AAA cites the economy as the primary reason for the increase. Most Ohioans will be driving, and the Ohio Department of Transportation expects a 63 percent increase in traffic, especially on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. Press Secretary Matt Bruning says ODOT will suspend roadwork and open as many lanes as possible, but he encourages drivers to be alert for construction zones.
“We try to pull up as many orange barrels as we can for the holiday, knowing we are going to have all that extra traffic moving through but it’s not possible everywhere,” Bruning said. “So you’re going to find some orange barrels in Toledo, Findlay, and Cincinnati on I-75, I-70 here through downtown Columbus, I-71 on the south side of Columbus, 271 in the Cleveland area, and there’s a lot of construction around Akron as well. But we still need people to obey those signs. Work zones can be a little more tricky to drive through. You’ve got sometimes lane shifts and narrower lanes. We always want you to be attentive when driving through the state, but those work zones can use some extra attention simply because you’re going to have a lot of people driving through Ohio that might not be familiar with those work zones. Just pay attention to the signage and obey those speed limit signs as you go through those work zones.”
The Ohio Highway Patrol will have an increased presence on the roads over the next five days. Troopers urge motorists to follow the traffic laws, wear their seatbelts, avoid distractions, and don’t drive impaired. Seven people died in crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday last year. Authorities say three fatalities were the result of an impaired driver and three others were unbuckled.
