Roads will be stuffed for the holiday

By KELLY HANNON

The promise of turkey and togetherness is too powerful to resist for most Americans, even during a recession.

It's not like Labor Day, when you can postpone a beach jaunt until next year.

Family and tradition "is the only reason I think so many people are traveling," said John Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic's manager of public and government affairs in Washington.

Plus, "You don't have to bring any gifts. Just show up and eat," Townsend said.

Fredericksburg-area travelers waiting in airport security lines or idling on the interstate this week may be surprised to see crowds of people--just like them--forking over money to buy gas and airfare to visit family, despite record-high unemployment.

Thanksgiving week will inspire 38.4 million Americans to travel farther than 50 miles from home, a 1.4 percent increase from Thanksgiving 2008.

Of course, Thanksgiving travel nationally dropped a whopping 25 percent last year from 2007, so the rebound in 2009 is minor.

Still, drivers should expect a lot of company on Interstate 95, U.S. 301 and Interstate 64, as well as on State Route 3 and U.S. 1 in the Fredericksburg area.

In the Washington area, nearly 1 million residents will travel 50 or more miles from home. That's 16.4 percent of the region's population, and 3.6 percent more people than last year.

The worst traffic day could be Wednesday, traditionally the busiest travel day of the year, combined with a typical rush-hour exodus from Northern Virginia and Washington.

Local roads could be clogged on Friday, as people make return trips mixed with Black Friday shopping.

Then again, there's the potential for traffic all week, Townsend said.

Among Washington-area residents traveling between 50 and 99 miles--44 percent of metro-area travelers--most will depart Thursday and return Saturday, AAA Mid-Atlantic found.

For residents traveling farther than 100 miles--56 percent of metro vacationers--the travel is spread out all week, Townsend said.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will halt all road work this week from noon Wednesday to noon Monday, so there are no lane closures to worry about. Any gridlock will be caused by volume or crashes.

AIRPORTS

Yes, 3-1-1 is still in effect. This rule is around for the foreseeable future.

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As much as you plan ahead, any trip can unravel once you leave the house. Unexpected traffic. A delayed plane. A detour in an unfamiliar area. This Thanksgiving, travelers who carry smart cell phones or laptops have a few resources to check traffic and travel conditions once they leave.

THE 511 SYSTEM

Does your cell phone have Internet access? You can check 511virginia.org from the road and look at real-time road conditions and crashes. The same information can be had by calling 511 from a cell phone or 800/578-4111.

TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Want to see traffic for yourself? Visit trafficland.com to see traffic cameras where you're driving. You can search for cameras by ZIP code.

AIRLINES

Smart phone applications exist to check your flight's status, but Mike King, owner of Travel Leaders in Spotsylvania, uses an old, free standby: Google. He punches his flight number and airline into google.com.

"It's going to tell you the time and the gate it's at and everything," King said.

Having your airline's 800 number won't hurt either, but King warns you may be on hold awhile, especially during the holidays.

GAS PRICES

To check for the cheapest gas prices on the road, use AAA Mid-Atlantic's Fuel Price Finder at aaamidatlantic.com. The Fuel Prince Finder is linked to credit card purchases at gas stations, and is searchable by ZIP code and city name. Fredericksburg .com also posts the lowest gas prices found locally at fredericks burg.com/gasprices.

--Kelly Hannon

Date published: 11/23/2009

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