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Pennsylvania Turnpike expecting nearly 700,000 vehicles on the road for busiest day ahead of Thanksgiving holiday

Pa. Turnpike expecting busy day with holiday travelers on the road
Pa. Turnpike expecting busy day with holiday travelers on the road 02:37

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) -- Today is expected to be a busy day on the Pennsylvania Turnpike ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. 

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission says 680,000 drivers are expected to be on the road today, building off of yesterday's projected 635,000 drivers.

The commission says the projections for this year are slightly higher than last year's and are trying to ensure that people can move along the high way as smoothly as possible.

Roadwork is currently suspended through Sunday night in an effort to keep as many lanes open as possible.

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."

With those record-breaking numbers require some strategy.

If you're traveling today to get where you're going, the best time to leave is before 10 a.m. 

The worst time to head out is between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. 

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