Millions of Texans hit the roads for Thanksgiving, traffic expected to surge
NORTH TEXAS — You don't want to be late to grandma's for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, that's why millions of Americans are expected to hit the roads Wednesday night.
"Save up your dollars and use the express lane when you can," said Lindsay Millerack.
It's good advice. AAA expects 5.7 million Texans to drive to their Thanksgiving dinner this year.
"It's pretty crazy going down I-45," said Tim Frede.
He and his wife Lauren are packing up the kids and heading to see family in the Houston area.
"There's usually at least one accident that we get stuck in and then have to hang out in the traffic with the kids for a little while," said Lauren Frede.
Others are getting ready for their first Thanksgiving as a Texan.
"Here, the roads are kind of really crazy; drivers are just really impatient. So I have to be really cautious as I'm driving and be on the lookout for these drivers that are always on you," said Neal Christmas, who just moved to Texas from Reno, Nevada.
Advice from TxDOT is pretty simple: leave earlier than you think.
"You're going to start seeing some congestion even outside of those peak travel hours. That's with everyone trying to get to their holiday parties, festivities, gatherings. So go ahead and just plan some extra travel time, that will save you a little frustration when you're on the road," said Kenna Mitchell, a spokesperson for TxDOT.
Advice from drivers, stock up on snacks.
"The kids got starbursts and chips, but nothing healthy. This is not a healthy trip," said Lauren Frede.
AAA expects a 38% increase in traffic today between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday.