Thousands of people hitting the road for vacation trips

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The July 4th weekend marks one of the busiest travel times of the year on Pennsylvania highways, and no highway in Pennsylvania is expected to see more traffic than the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Despite the increase in traffic and more people on the roads this holiday weekend, most of the people KDKA spoke to were excited to be out and about and getting to where they were going.

From Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, traveling both near and far, KDKA spoke to dozens of people Saturday at Oakmont Plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike who were going on vacation to fun spots, from Gettysburg to Ocean City.

From Saturday to Monday, more than 1.5 million commuters are expected on the turnpike before the Independence Day holiday, and from the small sample size on Saturday morning, most people shared the thoughts by Lauren Koshak on traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

“So far, so good. We left around 4:30 this morning, and it’s been pretty clear.”

Of course, the turnpike saw a setback Friday when a dump truck blocked westbound traffic between Irwin and Pittsburgh for a few hours, but the lanes reopened at 8 a.m. And so far, for most People coming across the state, it’s been a smooth ride

Still, the turnpike estimates that over the next week, its highway will see nearly six million drivers in total. This number has increased by more than a quarter of a million compared to this time in 2022.

Experts say the best travel advice this vacation is to give yourself extra time and make sure your car is ready for a long drive by checking things like the engine and tire pressure.

And if you need other travel tips, Toby Wardega, traveling from Cleveland to North Carolina, may have the best idea for staying alert and entertained.

“Listen to the Crime Junkie podcast and drink a lot of caffeine to stay awake,” Wardega said with a laugh.

The biggest piece of advice we heard from people was to hit the road early.

Oh, and if you have kids in the car, it might be a good idea to have some games and some snacks.