Thanksgiving travel expected to cause major delays on roads and in airports

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/FOX58) — With Thanksgiving approaching, Southern Californians are bracing for increased traffic congestion.

Travel experts are already noting a rise in road congestion, with Gianella Ghiglino, a spokesperson for AAA, advising travelers to avoid hitting the road on the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

“Those days are expected to see a 38% increase in traffic,” Ghiglino said. “We have seen a 2.8% increase over last year’s record number of travelers.”

Ghiglino warned that travel times could significantly increase. “If something will take you an hour and a half, it might take you 2 hours, so definitely people need to prepare for that for those busy days,” she said. “For those days coming back, the busiest days will be Sunday and Monday, so if you come back on a Wednesday of the following week, you’re gonna see a lot less traffic.”

Travel times on the I-5 North next Wednesday could double, with trips taking up to four hours, Ghiglino added.

For those with flexible schedules, AAA suggests traveling on Thanksgiving Day itself to avoid the worst delays.

Air travelers should also prepare for crowds. Ron Brewster, Director of Airports for Meadows Field Airport, said the airport tends to get busier around the holidays, especially in the mornings.

“We do expect more traveling than before, so the morning flights are busy, the noon time flights are really busy,” Brewster said. “We’re asking everyone to come an hour and a half minimum prior to their flights so that’ll give them ample opportunities to get through the checkpoint.”

Meadows Field is working to add a second lane, which will be operational by the Christmas season, but not in time for Thanksgiving. Brewster urged travelers to plan accordingly.

“Just asking that the traveling public takes that into consideration and gets themselves ample opportunities and ample time in which to get through,” he said. “Once they get through, there’s plenty of time to relax and wait for that flight to depart.”