Thanksgiving Travel Brings Additional Traffic — And Potential Hazards

Wisconsin drivers could see heavy road traffic over the Thanksgiving holiday.

AAA-Wisconsin projected more than 945,000 residents would be taking road trips over the long weekend, a more than 3 percent increase over last year’s numbers.

The state Department of Transportation said that additional traffic could lead to slowdowns on some key roads and highways.

David Pabst, of the Bureau of Transportation Safety, said while major road construction projects are finished for the year by Thanksgiving, Wisconsin often sees increases in vehicle crashes toward the end of the year, because of factors like holiday traffic, fewer daylight hours and wintry weather.

“Thanksgiving, of course, is a huge family holiday, and people are driving back to their loved ones,” Pabst said. “But also in Wisconsin we have deer hunting going on, so there’s a lot of extra traffic from that.”

Pabst said the state has already seen 534 traffic deaths this year, which could surpass last year’s total of 588.

The state’s 511 service now offers weather information along with updates on road projects and hazards.