Traffic remains heavy as travelers head out for Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving rush is in full swing Wednesday afternoon.
Traffic volume began building in metro Atlanta around 2 p.m. and the Wednesday evening drive, when commuters will join the throngs of holiday travelers, hasn’t helped matters.
On the bright side, the predicted worst time to hit the road in Buckhead has come and passed. The Georgia Department of Transportation expected the worst traffic to be until 4 p.m. With 5 to 10 percent more drivers on the road than normal, speeds were expected to slow 35 to 45 percent.
MORE: The best and worst times to drive in Atlanta this Thanksgiving
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Traffic is expected to be heavy all around Atlanta Wednesday. Commuters will likely experience slower trip times through 6 p.m., according to GDOT.
Well this traffic is just ugly. Be careful out there! Be especially careful in grocery store parking lots. Tis the season for lots of parking lot crashes. pic.twitter.com/By3QZqhwaE
— Jason Durden (@JasonDurdenWSB) November 21, 2018
MORE: Roads go from 'ugly' to 'nasty' as Thanksgiving rush continues
Matt Glasser, an interstate traffic engineer with the agency, told Channel 2 Action News the trouble spots should be northeast and northwest Atlanta.
"In fact, in some places, it's going to be 50 (minutes) slower than your typical commute," he said.
Glasser said GDOT analyzed traffic patterns from last Thanksgiving and compared them to a typical Wednesday evening commute to come up with their figures. They produced a map to show the best and worst times to hit the roads over the holiday and into the weekend.
GDOT released traffic forecasts for metro Atlanta that recommend the worst to best times to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday. The forecasts are based on an analysis of traffic patterns in seven parts of the metro Atlanta area during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2016 and 2017. pic.twitter.com/KLfH3efCbe
— NaviGAtor511 (@511Georgia) November 20, 2018
The agency plans to have HERO units out in force to help with any incidents that could slow Thanksgiving travel even further.
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By the time families sit down for turkey on Thursday, volume on Atlanta freeways should be light. Downtown is the exception, according to GDOT.
Downtown Atlanta should see its worst travel time of the week from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.
Courtesy of GDOT Traffic Operations, here are recommendations on the "Best", "Ok", and "Worst" times to travel for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Check out the travel forecast if you're traveling Downtown. pic.twitter.com/WTHr4598XG
— Georgia DOT (@GADeptofTrans) November 20, 2018
The good news is drivers will not have to contend with construction. At 6 a.m., GDOT suspended construction-related lane closures on interstates and major state routes. The suspension will remain in effect until 5 a.m. Monday.
Beginning today! GDOT is Restricting Lane Closures For The Thanksgiving Holiday! We're suspending construction-related lane closures on interstate highways, heavily traveled state routes from 6 a.m. Wed, Nov. 21 to 5 a.m. Mon, Nov 26. Drive safely! #DriveAlert #ArriveAliveGA
— Georgia DOT (@GADeptofTrans) November 21, 2018
For those planning their trips back home, the northern suburbs should see traffic pick up Saturday morning and clear out for the afternoon and evening. GDOT suggests drivers traveling the Top End Perimeter avoid leaving from about 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Downtown and through the southern suburbs, traffic is expected to be a little heavier over the weekend. Downtown interstates could slow about 2 p.m. Saturday and from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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