PA Turnpike Advises to Brace for Holiday Traffic Levels on Roadway
HARRISBURG, PA (Dec. 22, 2021) – With just three days until Christmas, the PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) forecasts a robust holiday travel period with more than 5.4 million motorists traveling the Turnpike beginning on Thursday, Dec. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 2.
“Our holiday traffic projections are coming close to matching those of 2019 with an increase of 40 percent over last year,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “We have added resources to address any traffic and safety concerns due to the increase in traffic. Our goal is to provide our customers the best travel experience possible. We encourage travelers to prepare by finding our real-time traffic and roadway conditions online and allowing plenty of time to get safely to their destination.”
Daily traffic projections for the holiday period are as follows:
| Thursday, Dec. 23 | 650,000 |
| Friday, Dec. 24 | 450,000 |
| Saturday, Dec. 25 | 405,000 |
| Sunday, Dec. 26 | 375,000 |
| Monday, Dec. 27 | 425,000 |
| Tuesday, Dec. 28 | 600,000 |
| Wednesday, Dec. 29 | 625,000 |
| Thursday, Dec. 30 | 625,000 |
| Friday, Dec. 31 | 460,000 |
| Saturday, Jan. 1 | 350,000 |
| Sunday, Jan. 2 | 425,000 |
Holiday travelers should note that recent updates made to the 511PA traveler information service can alert them to specific information along their travel routes. Motorists can check roadway conditions including color-coded winter conditions by visiting www.511PA.com.
511PA also allows motorists to set up personalized travel alerts for specific roadways, days of the week, and times of the day. New to this feature, users can now select the type of alerts they would like to receive, rather than receiving all alerts. Categories include incidents, roadwork, general travel information, travel restrictions, and weather-related alerts. Motorists can now use just an email or mobile phone number for speed and vehicle restrictions or full roadway closures without creating a personalized account.
Additionally, the 511PA mobile app now allows drivers to specify vehicle type – either commercial or passenger vehicle. If commercial vehicle is selected, vehicle restrictions and low-bridge data is turned on in drive mode by default. You can also use the app to locate electric-vehicle (EV) charging station locations.
To report an accident or other emergencies on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 on your mobile phone, identify your location on the roadway and remain safely in your vehicle to wait for assistance.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Carl DeFebo, 717-645-2265 or Rosanne Placey, 717-675-4362