Holiday travel rush reaches its peak across Georgia, South Carolina
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The holiday travel rush hit its peak Friday as mild weather and lower flight cancelation rates raised hopes for merrier drivers and airline engers than last year.
AAA projects the second-highest nationwide travel season since 2019.
Roads, airports, and cruise lines will be more crowded than normal.
AAA is forecasting that 115 million people will go 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. That is a two percent increase over the auto club’s forecast last year, although it would fall short of the record set in 2019.
Georgia Department of Transportation said while they do not predict things to be too congested on the roadways, the times to avoid driving if you want to dodge the traffic is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. up until Christmas.
“You can travel during the morning leading up to lunch. That seems like historically, that’s been the smartest time to avoid some of the slowdowns,” said Kyle Collins with GDOT Communications.
The peak travel area is metro Atlanta, but Augusta comes right behind it with moderate traffic.
On the South Carolina side, highway patrol is expecting the opposite of Georgia. Corporal Brittany Glover said they are preparing for the roadways to be packed.
“We are increasing patrol and will have a number of troopers out on the roadways and the interstates. It starts on Friday, Dec. 22, and it’ll run all the way until Monday, Dec. 25 at midnight,” said Glover.
AAA said this year, more Americans are investing in the time and money to travel to a loved one or a new place no matter what the price tag says.
Georgia is pressing pause on all highway and interstate roadwork until the day after Christmas.
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According to AAA, U.S. airports will process 7.5 million air travelers over the Christmas and New Year’s travel period. That sures 2019′s record, which was the highest ever.
A lot of those travelers from the CSRA are ing through Atlanta’s airport – the world’s busiest – either as a starting point or to change planes.
Airlines have canceled just 1.2% of U.S. flights so far this year, the lowest in five years, but bad weather is always a threat.
The Transportation Security istration just finished a big construction project at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s main security checkpoint, so all 18 lanes are now open and fully staffed, which has significantly cut down on wait times.
IN AUGUSTA:
- Local talent is providing musical entertainment at the Augusta Regional Airport. Historically, these performers are located in the gate area. However, with renovation going on at Gates 3 and 4, the performers will be in the baggage claim area.
Robert Spinden, the Transportation Security istration’s federal security director for the state of Georgia, said it takes enormous behind-the-scenes planning to make sure travelers get through security within the agency’s goal of 30 minutes.
“That’s why we work so closely with the airport, all of their personnel, and the airlines, just to try to make sure that we have everything in sync and ready for the rush,” he said.
If you’re headed to the Atlanta airport to catch a flight, do yourself a favor and reserve a parking spot ahead of time, which could save you time and money.
The Transportation Security istration expects that the busiest days for air travel will be Friday and New Year’s Day. TSA expects to screen more than 2.5 million travelers each of those days — that’s still far short of the record 2.9 million that agents screened on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The Atlanta airport has set up a link where you can see how long you’ll be waiting in line. Here’s the link to check wait times at Atlanta’s airport.
What about parking at the world’s busiest airport? Well, there’s a link for that too. Here’s the link to check the parking status.
On the road
Over the next two weeks, AAA predicts more than 100 million Americans will be on the roads during what’s expected to be the second-busiest end-of-year travel period in more than two decades.
If you’re driving out of town for the holidays, the busiest days on the road will be Saturday and next Thursday, according to transportation data. AAA says the best time for you to hit the road is before 10 a.m. on Saturday, and the best time to head back home is before noon on either Dec. 26 or Dec. 27.
GAS PRICES:
- Georgia: Gas prices Thursday are averaging $3.02 per gallon, up slightly from $2.99 a week earlier. Augusta prices are averaging $2.01.
- South Carolina: Prices are averaging $2.88, up from $2.93 a week earlier. Proces in Aiken and Edgefield counties are averaging $2.90.
“I can’t stress that enough if you haven’t made your travel plans consider making them as soon as possible. And working with a travel agent purchasing travel insurance because you know, this time of the year we hear about delays and cancellations,” said Tiffany Wright, spokeswoman for AAA in the Carolinas. “So, you want to ensure that you’re protecting yourself should you encounter any road bumps along the way.”
To help holiday travelers, the Georgia Department of Transportation will suspend construction-related lane closures along Georgia interstates, major state routes and roadways near major shopping centers, malls or districts. The suspension will start at 5 a.m. Friday extend through 10 p.m. Tuesday.
South Carolina typically does the same thing on a similar timetable.
In South Carolina, traffic fatalities are at their lowest in years, with 130 fewer deaths than at this point last year.
Troopers want to keep it that way.
“That’s 130 of our family , of our friends, our coworkers, our neighbors, who will be home for the holidays,” said Phil Riley, highway safety and justice programs director with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
That’ll mean more law enforcement on the roads and DUI checkpoints.
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