More than 2 million drivers are expected to travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike during the Easter holiday weekend.
Turnpike officials identified Friday as the busiest travel day of the period.
To manage the surge, the Pennsylvania Turnpike is increasing personnel and patrols in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police.
Many travelers said they started their trips early to avoid the expected congestion.
Kathy Carric, a traveler on the turnpike, said the driving conditions remained manageable despite the high volume of vehicles.
“The roads have been great, I mean, very little traffic from our standpoint,” Carric said. Carric and her family are driving 7 hours for the holiday.
Carric noted that driving was a more reliable option for her family than air travel. She said they are heading to an airport in Virginia to pick up a family member who has faced multiple travel disruptions.
“We’re picking up someone at the Richmond airport and they have had two flights canceled so far and they’re on the third,” Carric said.
She said she is looking forward to the trip’s destination.
“It’ll be nice to have the whole family together you know and celebrate the Easter holiday,” she said.
Travelers are also navigating high fuel costs as the national average for gas sits above $4.00. Pennsylvania’s average price is $4.11, while prices in Pittsburgh are slightly higher at $4.12.
Christine McBride, a traveler on the turnpike, said she planned her stops at specific locations to save money.
“We filled up at Costco, which always is reasonable, so we’re just waiting until we have to fill up,” McBride said.
McBride added that while the trip included some rain, traffic continued to move well.
Other families are using group travel to mitigate the impact of fuel prices. Dennis Carric, a traveler, explained how his group is handling the expense of the long drive.
“As many as we are we just share the price of gas,” he said.
Turnpike officials expect the return home on Monday to be the second busiest travel day of the holiday period. High traffic volumes are anticipated to continue through the end of the weekend.
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