Pittsburgh-Area Thanksgiving 2018 Travel Guide

PITTSBURGH, PA - If you’re traveling this Thanksgiving week, expect potentially lengthy delays whether you’re driving or flying.

AAA expects more than 54 million Americans to travel at least 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving, the most since 2005. Some 48.5 million will be driving, and those in the nation's most congested cities should be prepared for trips to take up to four times as long, according to mobility analytics company INRIX.

"Our advice to drivers is to avoid commuting times in major cities altogether or plan alternative routes," Trevor Reed, INRIX transportation analyst, said in a news release.

In most cases, the best days to travel will be on Thanksgiving Day, Friday or Saturday. Drivers should expect increased travel times on Sunday as most holiday travelers will be making their way home after the long weekend.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is projecting that 3.55 million cars and trucks will travel the Turnpike during the six-day period, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 21 and ending Sunday, Nov. 26.

“We appreciate that family, friends, food and festivities are the focus of the Thanksgiving holiday season,” said Mark Compton, PTC CEO. “We also know that millions will be travelling our roadway to celebrate those traditions and have planned accordingly so motorists will not be detained by scheduled maintenance or construction. All lanes are slated to be open and additional safety, maintenance and state police patrols will be on hand.”

Beginning 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21 until 11 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26 all lanes in each direction of the Turnpike will be open and available to accommodate heavier traffic volumes. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects will be suspended during these times.

Nov. 21 and 22 are projected to be the most heavily traveled days on the Turnpike with 725,000 vehicles expected both days. The periods of heaviest traffic volumes will be:

• Tuesday, Nov. 21, from 3 until 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 22, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 26, from noon until 8 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 23, will be the least traveled day with 510,000 motorists on the road, followed by Friday, Nov. 24 with 515,000 motorists.

Pittsburgh International Airport also expects a busy holiday week, with 40,000 passengers arriving and departing daily through Nov. 26. The busiest travel days of the next week are expected to be Tuesday, Wednesday and Monday, with more than 19,000 people expected to arrive back home on Monday alone, according to the airport’s news service.

If you’re flying this week, airport officials offer these travel tips::

• Arrive at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled flight, especially when checking bags and traveling with family.
• Reserve your parking online at www.flypittsburgh.com/parking to save time and money.
• Review all TSA policies for carry-on items at www.tsa.gov.

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