Well, it could be worse if you were a turkey: Officials expect Thanksgiving holiday traffic to cause extra delays of 20 minutes on Interstate 15 on Wednesday for trips through Salt Lake and Utah counties.
They also project that return trips will create delays of 25 minutes on Monday afternoon.
UDOT engineers expect increased southbound traffic on I-15 on Wednesday between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., and northbound traffic will be heavier between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Extra “Black Friday” traffic also is expected Friday morning on streets near malls or large shopping centers.
Most highway construction projects have been completed or are pausing for the winter. An exception is the I-15 Technology Corridor project in Lehi, where the speed limit is reduced to 60 mph — and lanes are narrow and wind around construction.
Meanwhile, Salt Lake City International Airport also is expecting heavy crowds, and urging passengers to arrive two hours before their scheduled boarding time to park, check bags and go through security. The airport has scheduled local musicians to perform in terminals to help calm a hectic travel season.
The airport also is encouraging passengers to print or download boarding passes before arriving at the airport to speed check-in.
When picking up passengers, the airport recommends that drivers check the status of incoming flights via their airline’s website. Drivers who arrive early should remain in the airport’s Park and Wait lot until passengers are ready to be picked up at the curb.
Most rail and bus service from the Utah Transit Authority is cancelled on Thanksgiving, except for ski bus routes, which will operate on Sunday schedules.
On Black Friday, UTA bus and train routes will run on a more limited Saturday schedule. Exact schedules are available online at rideuta.com.
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