HARRISBURG, Pa. — 'Tis the season for travel, and if you're planning to use the Pennsylvania Turnpike over the holidays you should expect plenty of company.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on Thursday said 5.2 million drivers are expected to use the roadway between Friday and January 1. The projection is about two percent higher than traffic volumes from the same period last year.
Friday is expected to be the busiest travel day, with an estimated 610,000 drivers expected to be traveling on the Turnpike.
There will be similar conditions on Friday, Dec. 29, when an estimated 600,000 drivers are expected on the Turnpike.
"We encourage travelers to prepare by finding our real-time traffic and roadway conditions online and allowing plenty of time to get safely to their destination," the Turnpike Commission said. "December in Pennsylvania can bring any kind of weather from rain to ice and snow."
Motorists can check roadway conditions including color-coded winter conditions by visiting www.511PA.com.
511PA also allows motorists to set up personalized travel alerts for specific roadways, days of the week, and times of the day. Choose your region and view an hour-by-hour, color-coded representation of traffic speeds to help decide the best times to travel.
Additionally, during the holiday week, starting on Friday, Dec. 22, all roadway construction work will be suspended, and additional safety and police personnel will be on the roadway to assist customers.
Looking for information on Turnpike amenities before you head out? Visit Ramp up for Seasonal Travel | PA Turnpike.
