ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Triple A estimates a record 3.33 million Virginians traveling more than 50 miles this holiday season. Of those, almost 3 million, or 90 percent of people will travel by car. That is over two percent higher than last year’s number.
It predicts the holiday rush to begin this Saturday December 21st, and go through Wednesday January 1st. Triple A’s mid-Atlantic spokesperson Morgan Dean said to avoid traveling in the middle of the day, if possible, which is when traffic is expected to be at its worst.
“If you leave in the morning and get there early,” he said. “Or if you don’t mind driving at night, maybe leaving later in the day after some of the midday traffic has calmed down a little bit.”
Whenever you get your trip started, expect an early holiday gift at the gas pump.
Dean said right now, the average price per gallon is about $2.90. That’s the lowest it has been in more than three years.
“That’s the Virginia average at $2.90, for drivers on the roadway there are many communities that have gas price averages below that,” Dean said. “In those communities, if you’re looking at an average of two-seventy-something, there’s a good chance there are some stations that are below it, as well as some stations that are above it.”
If your travel plans have you hitting the highways closer to Christmas Day, or just staying local, you can expect another present from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
It’s suspending highway work zones and lifting temporary lane closures on Interstate 81and many other major Virginia roads from noon December 24th to noon December 26th, then again from noon December 31st to noon January 2nd.
Not all will be removed, however.
“If there are permanent barricade walls or those long-term closures that you would encounter, those are going to remain in place,” Jason Bond, the communications manager for VDOT’s Salem district, said. “We will be lifting our temporary lane closures to help drivers with their holiday travel.”
Anyone planning to drive around that time can stay up to date with traffic information at 511.vdot.virginia.gov.