Leave early, avoid jams, traffic watchers advise

Almost 49 million people are expected to take road trips this week through Sunday, according to forecasts from traffic data firm INRIX. And not surprisingly, that means there’s potential for some soul-crushing traffic.

Generally, INRIX and auto club AAA recommend hitting the road early or waiting until the evening hours before driving.

“Although travel times will peak on Wednesday afternoon nationally, travelers should expect much heavier than normal congestion throughout the holiday weekend,” Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a statement.

Those traveling Wednesday should have left during the morning or waited until after 8 p.m., according to the forecast. On Thursday, the busiest period was expected to have been 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., while roads were expected to have been quieter after 6 p.m.

Today, Saturday and Sunday, the busiest times are expected to be between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Drivers who can get out before 11 a.m., or before 2 p.m. on Saturday, stand the best chance of a smooth trip. Otherwise, wait until after 8 p.m.

INRIX expects peak traffic in metro areas across the country.

In most big cities, the company expected Wednesday afternoon to have been the busiest.

The highway the company identified as likely to be the most traffic-choked is a section of New York’s notorious Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, where traffic volumes were expected to have been more than 2½ times normal throughout Wednesday afternoon.

The Washington, D.C., area is an outlier: INRIX expects the worst place and time to be on the road will be Sunday between 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. heading counterclockwise on the northwestern quadrant of the Beltway between Interstate 95 and Virginia’s Route 123 in Tysons. Traffic is forecast to be almost double normal volumes.

Road travel dipped in the pandemic’s early months in 2020, but rebounded much more quickly than other modes of transportation. The number of people driving this Thanksgiving will rival 2019, according to AAA.

Average gas prices are $3.70 per gallon, 29 percent higher than last year, AAA said. But that doesn’t appear to be deterring drivers.

“Despite increased costs across the board, people are making plans and finding ways to spend time with family and friends,” said Ragina Ali, a spokeswoman for AAA’s Maryland branch.