Thanksgiving:Drivers May Experience Delays On I-95
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--Hitting the road for the holidays? Expect plenty of company if you're heading out of town.
Weijia Jiang has the Thanksgiving travel predictions.
Those who are braving the roads this Thanksgiving might want to pack more than the bags. Some patience could go a long way.
They are busy, jammed up most of them," said Indra Patel, Maryland driver.
The MDTA predicts nearly 3 million drivers plan to hit Maryland roads this Thanksgiving. That's a 2 percent increase in traffic compared to last year. A spike Terry Shea is dreading on his drive to New Jersey.
"I see a lot of craziness, of impatience. People doing unsmart things because they're frustrated," Shea said. "They zip around the lanes, they tailgate."
From Tuesday, Nov. 23 through Sunday Nov. 28, MDTA expects nearly 800,000 vehicles to travel the Fort Mchenry Tunnel, more than 700,000 on Interstate 95, and nearly a million on the state's bridges and tunnels.
Researchers say Wednesday will likely be the busiest travel day.
"If you can travel very early before 6 a.m. or after 10 or 11 in the evening, those would be advisable," said Kelly Melham, MDTA.
Authorities say one reason why traffic will be so bad along interstate 95 is that the major construction project going on will continue despite the holiday "at the Delaware toll plaza in Newark," Melham said. "With that additional construction, there will likely be additional delays, additional backups.
Traffic jams up, it's very slow going until the Delaware Bridge," Patel said.
Maryland leaders hope new state laws will at least make the ride a safer one. Texting and using hand held cell phones behind the wheel is illegal. Drivers should expect more police patrols out to enforce all the rules and to keep the busy roads safe.
Click here for up to date traffic information about Maryland roads.
