Thanksgiving travel gets boost from low gas prices

• Most travelers are expected to travel Wednesday and Sunday for Thanksgiving holiday week.
• Nearly 126%2C000 Delawareans are expected to travel for the holiday%2C up 4 percent over last year%2C AAA forecasts.
• Gas is averaging %242.85 a gallon in Delaware today%2C down 2 cents in the last week.

Lower gas prices are expected to fuel an boost in travel locally and nationally during the Thanksgiving week, so leave early and pack some patience.

Gas is averaging $2.85 a gallon in Delaware today, down from $3.28 a year ago, according to the auto club AAA.

"Seeing a little more money in your wallet makes you more willing to travel," Jim Lardear of AAA Mid-Atlantic said.

"People were surprised how quickly it's dropped and how fast. Drivers are saving about $100 million a day nationally."

In Delaware, an estimated 126,000 people are planning to travel at least 50 miles during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend – a 4 percent increase over last year, according to projections by AAA and IHS Global Insight.

Ninety percent of them will drive, while 7 percent will fly, Lardear said. No matter the mode of transport, most people will leave Wednesday and return Sunday, which is typical for the Thanksgiving week.

State officials are advising motorists to travel outside of peak periods, and to leave extra time to reach their destinations. Anticipating high volumes of traffic, the state is adding extra staff at the tollbooths at I-95's Newark Plaza, as well as Del. 1's Biddle's Corner and Dover.

Last year, the busiest days at the Newark Plaza on I-95 were Saturday and Sunday, and, at Biddle's Corner (the Roth Bridge) on Wednesday, according to state data.

Lane closures on Delaware's major roadways – Del. 1, I-95, and U.S. 202 – will be suspended starting at noon Wednesday and will resume at midnight Nov. 30, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation.

DelDOT's Transportation Management Center will be remotely monitoring the highways and tweaking traffic signals in real time in response to congestion, crashes and disabled vehicles.

If leaving before Wednesday, expect some lane and/or ramp closures on I-95 near Wilmington, according to DelDOT:

• Friday, Monday and Tuesday: A contractor will close a lane on southbound I-95 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for maintenance work on the bridge over Talley Road near Marsh Road, northeast of Wilmington.

• Saturday: Traffic-line striping will close two lanes on southbound I-95 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the bridge over the Brandywine River between U.S. 202 and Delaware Avenue (could bleed into Sunday, if needed).

• Sunday and Monday: Crews will close a lane or two as needed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Exit 8, which goes from northbound I-95 to northbound U.S. 202.

• Tuesday: Workers will close Ramp 8 from northbound U.S. 202 to southbound I-95 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Detours will be posted.

Unfortunately, the Summit Bridge remains restricted to one lane of traffic in each direction; however, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the project should wrap up in mid-December after three years.

Elsewhere on the highways, you should see improvements:

All lanes of I-495 are reopened after bridge repairs in Wilmington, offering a bypass for motorists who want to congestion on I-95 at U.S. 202 in particular.

The Chesapeake House rest stop on I-95 in Cecil County, Maryland, is back open after renovations.

In New Jersey, the years-long construction to widen the turnpike between Exits 6 and 9 is finally over, and the newly built lanes are open. That's definitely something worth giving thanks for.

Holiday transit

Amtrak is urging customers to book their reservations early. Wednesday is among its busiest days of the year.

DART First State's fixed-route bus and paratransit services will not operate on Thanksgiving, but return to regular schedules the following day, Nov. 28.

SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line will operate on Thanksgiving with service to Claymont and Wilmington but on a holiday schedule (same as a Saturday/Sunday schedule).

Contact Melissa Nann Burke at (302) 324-2329, mburke@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @nannburke.