Chicago, other cities could see 'record' Thanksgiving traffic delays, AAA says

The number of travelers hitting the road this Thanksgiving holiday is expected to swell to levels not seen in more than a decade, triggering what could be “record” traffic delays in some of the country’s biggest cities, including Chicago, according to the American Automobile Association.

In fact, some 45.5 million road-trippers will set off to grandmother’s house and other destinations during the Thanksgiving holiday, up from last year and the highest volume seen nationwide since 2005.

AAA defines the Thanksgiving holiday travel period as Wednesday, Nov. 22, to Sunday, Nov. 26.

But many holiday travelers are heading out a day earlier. In fact, Chicago is expected to log one of the worst traffic jams of any big city during the Thanksgiving holiday season on Tuesday afternoon, according to an analysis by AAA and global transportation analytics company INRIX. Motorists should beware that the worst time will be between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday, when holiday travelers are expected to join post-work commuters on Chicago-area interstates. Already long travel times could quadruple, according to AAA.

“Thanksgiving has historically been one of the busiest holidays for road trips, and this year we could see record-level travel delays,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at Seattle-based INRIX, is quoted as saying in a news release. “Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

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