2018 Holiday Travel Alerts For Indiana: AAA Report

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Holiday travel is about to begin for Hoosiers who plan on having some festive fun away from home. In fact, AAA reports one-in-three Americans will travel this holiday season, which is the most on record, so you might want to avoid these certain dates and times when it comes to traveling through certain parts of the country. The nation's worst day for holiday travel is expected to be Thursday, Dec. 20, according to the report that listed the nation's busiest roadways and the worst days and times to travel them.

The 102.1 million people expected to hit the road for holiday travel represents a 4.4 percent increase from last year, AAA said.

Between planes, boats, trains and automobiles, 112.5 million will be traveling. That's the highest number since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2001.

Make sure to check the Indiana Department of Transportation's Road Restrictions and Closures page/map before heading out. Indianapolis' I-475 loop was recently included as a traffic congestion hot spot to look out for.

>>Indiana Department of Tranpostation shares winter driving tips

"Tis the season for holiday travel, and more Americans than ever will journey to spend time with friends and family or choose to take a vacation," said Bryan Shilling, managing director, AAA Travel products and services, in the report. "Strong economic growth fueled by robust consumer spending continues to drive strong demand for seasonal travel. With a record-breaking one-third of the country choosing to travel this holiday, roadways and airports are sure to be busy."

There will also be 6.7 million people traveling through the skies this year, which AAA said is the highest level of air travel in 15 years, and 4.2 percent more than last year. AAA also listed the best times to fly and book Christmas flights.

Trains, cruise ships and buses will accommodate 3.7 million holiday travelers, AAA added.

If you're traveling by car, make sure to fill up that tank ASAP, as the state's average gas price is $2.270, nearly 10 cents cheaper than the national average of $2.369, which AAA said is the cheapest December national gas price average in two years.

Let us know in the comment section or on Facebook how your holiday travels are going, or how Patch can help.

AAA worked with INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, to create this year's holiday travel report. INRIX predicts travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. could be as much as four times longer than a normal trip.

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