People are packing their bags and gassing up their cars, preparing to drive home for the holidays. They’re also bracing for an Arctic blast that could complicate Christmas travel congestion with freezing rain.
On Wednesday, Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in Georgia head of the historic cold. The Georgia Department of Transportation has already begun spreading brine on roads in Northwest Georgia. Crews will start brining the roads in metro Atlanta and Northeast Georgia at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Interstates, state routes, bridges, and overpasses are being prioritized. The Georgia DOT says crews will put brine on the entirety of I-20, I-85, and I-75 north of metro Atlanta, I-75 south of metro Atlanta to Macon, and I-85 south of Atlanta to Columbus. An estimated 635,000 gallons of brine will be used to treat more than 21,000 lane miles in the affected areas.
The state transportation agency is shutting down Georgia Express Lanes from midnight Thursday into Friday. GDOT will reopen the lanes as conditions allow.
Save time and trouble
If you’re among the more than 112 million Americans who’ll be hitting the road this week, pre-planning could save you time and trouble. Pack an emergency weather supply kit in your car and schedule your travel outside of heavily congested drive times.
Transportation analytics company INRIX offers a list of the Best & Worst Christmas and New Year’s holiday travel times. The data is listed below.
Law enforcement officers will conduct high visibility patrols on the heaviest travel days to remind motorists to drive safely.
This year’s Christmas holiday travel period begins Friday, December 23, at 6 p.m. and ends Monday, December 26, at 11:59 p.m.
The New Year’s holiday travel period gets underway Friday, December 30, at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 2, 2023.
