CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Traffic on the West Virginia Turnpike was heavier than expected during the first two days of the Thanksgiving travel week, state officials said.
More than 721,000 vehicles passed through Turnpike toll booths from Tuesday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 27, state transportation officials said.
Traffic was heaviest the two days before the Thanksgiving holiday and the weekend after.
Traffic for the two days before Thanksgiving was nearly 2,000 vehicles higher than predicted, officials said. The highest traffic day on the Turnpike was Sunday, when 159,366 vehicles passed through toll booths.
Aside from some weather-related accidents that slowed traffic on Sunday, traffic flowed smoothly throughout the week.
“We were well staffed, and our crews worked very hard to ensure that traffic got through as quickly as possible,” said Jeff Miller, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority.
He encouraged motorists to participate in the E-ZPass program to speed traveling time through toll plazas.
