Tennesseans Hit The Road, Take To The Sky For Thanksgiving

NASHVILLE, TN -- Experts anticipate Thanksgiving 2017 to be one of the busiest in years for travel and Tennesseans are no exception.

AAA predicts 1.1 million Tennesseans -- that's one of every six people -- will take to the road over the four-day weekend, which, with many school systems out on Wednesday, is extending into five days for many families.

That's an increase of 3.2 percent over 2016. A bigger increase -- more than 4 percent -- is expected in air travel and Nashville International is gearing up for it, with an anticipated 21,000 passengers passing through BNA on Wednesday and 23,000 departing Sunday. Check BNA flight status on line.

With all the extra cars on the road -- and with Thanksgiving considered the holiday with the highest alcohol consumption in the United States -- the Tennessee Highway Patrol is ramping up, as well. On the 450 miles of Interstate 40 that transverse the state from east to west, troopers will be stationed an average of every 20 miles, with the THP saying its goal is zero fatalities on the peak travel days of Wednesday and Sunday.

Last year on I-40, there were 54 crashes on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and 51 on the Sunday after. Four were alcohol-related.

In Tennessee, the worst time to leave on Wednesday is 3 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m.

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 21: The Kennedy Expressway is clogged with cars as rush-hour commuters and Thanksgiving holiday travelers try to make their way through the city on November 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Holiday traffic in the city is expected to peak during the Tuesday afternoon rush. As many as 45.5 million people are expected to hit the road during the Thanksgiving holiday, the most in more than 10 years. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)