Holiday travelers hit the road across West Tennessee

JACKSON, Tenn. — It’s traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the year, as travel begins for the Christmas holiday.

“Beginning today on Wednesday at noon, we are halting any temporary lane closures all the way through the New Year on January 4th at 6 a.m.,” said TDOT Community Relations Officer Nichole Lawrence.

Lawrence says this gives travelers the ease of having more lanes to access while going from point A to point B. She also says you may not have to worry about too much traffic due to the pandemic.

“We are still trending downward about 10 to 12 percent from this time last year,” Lawrence said.

Mac Guice is travelling to Dallas, Texas and says, for him, this was the safest way to visit family during the pandemic.

“It’s safer for me to drive by myself with my dog rather than hop on a plane full of other people who may or may not have been following strict protocol, may or may not get tested before they fly or be concerned about whether or not they have a fever,” Guice said.

Ryan Fryer is travelling from Oklahoma. She says her choice to travel by car was not inspired by the pandemic.

“I think driving is a better experience than flying, and it’s better for the family,” Fryer said.

Fryer says she hopes people won’t fear travelling due to COVID-19, but will follow safety procedures along the way.

“I would say just go for it. If you take safety precautions, you’ll be just fine, like washing your hands, using hand sanitizer cleaning up your areas. Little things like that can make a big difference,” Fryer said.

There’s a variety of reasons why people are choosing to travel by car this holiday season. Some just want to avoid the pandemic and some just want that road trip experience.

For the latest travel updates before hitting the road, you can dial 511 from any phone for travel information.