CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There were 56,000 fewer vehicles on the West Virginia Turnpike during the Thanksgiving travel period than there were a year ago.
State Parkways Authority General Manager Greg Barr said the threat of bad weather was likely the key factor to a 7.7 percent traffic dip from Tuesday, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Dec. 1.
Forecasts were calling for anywhere from 2 to 5 or 4 to 8 inches of snow from late Tuesday night into Wednesday. Barr said the significant snow never came.
“We did have some ice and freezing rain,” Barr said. “It wasn’t the most favorable weather to have over the Thanksgiving travel period, but it wasn’t as bad as had been predicted.”
Sunday was once again the busiest day. Barr said there were 165,000 separate toll transactions. He said some individual tollbooths took in 650 transactions an hour during the peak travel time Sunday. Barr said three fender bender accidents southbound in Kanawha County Sunday afternoon backed up traffic until about 6 p.m.
Barr said maybe those people who canceled their Thanksgiving trips will use the Turnpike to visit family over the Christmas holiday.