Holiday traffic on Turnpike expected to exceed 700,000 vehicles

CHARLESTON, W.Va (WDTV) – Officials with the West Virginia Parkways Authority expect high volumes of travel during the week of Thanksgiving.

Officials expect the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the following Sunday to be the busiest two travel days on the West Virginia Turnpike during the Thanksgiving holiday period from Tuesday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 26.

An estimated 715,000 total transactions are expected to take place at the turnpike’s three toll booths in that six-day period, officials said.

“Wednesday and Sunday of Thanksgiving week are typically two of the busiest travel days we experience on the West Virginia Turnpike during the entire year” said Jeff Miller, executive director of the Parkways Authority.

Officials expect the following number of transactions to take place on the Turnpike each day:

• Tuesday, Nov. 21: 130,000 transactions
• Wednesday, Nov. 22: 155,000 transactions
• Thursday, Nov. 23: 65,000 transactions
• Friday, Nov. 24: 80,000 transactions
• Saturday, Nov. 25: 125,000 transactions
• Sunday, Nov. 26: 160,000 transactions

“As always, the West Virginia Parkways Authority will be fully prepared for high volumes of travel during Thanksgiving week,” Miller said. “In addition to Toll Operations and Maintenance being fully prepared, we will have additional traffic flaggers staged at each toll plaza, as well as additional troopers from West Virginia State Police Troop 7 and Courtesy Patrol members for motorist assistance.”

Miller also urges motorists to plan and organize their trip through the West Virginia Turnpike to minimize time at the toll booths.

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