US Thanksgiving travel expected to drop amid coronavirus surge
Thanksgiving travel is expected to see a slight dip this season as coronavirus cases surge across the nation.
AAA Nevada anticipates a 10 percent decrease in travel nationwide, marking the largest one-year decrease in anticipated traffic volume since the 2008 Great Recession.
About 50 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, down from 55 million in 2019.
With Nevada recommending residents stay at home and other states issuing travel advisories, the number of travelers could dip even more.
Adrienne Packer, Nevada Department of Transportation spokeswoman, doesn’t expect Gov. Steve Sisolak’s “Stay at Home 2.0” order to keep out-of-town visitors away from Southern Nevada, noting the continued uptick in travelers coming in from Southern California.
“While the governor asked that Nevadans stay at home for two weeks, that certainly doesn’t mean visitors will stay away from Las Vegas,” Packer said. “We don’t expect holiday traffic counts to be nearly as high as in years past, but we do anticipate tourists will be visiting Las Vegas for the Thanksgiving weekend.”
Booking data from AAA supports that, as Las Vegas and Reno are the top two hotel destinations for travelers within the footprint of AAA Nevada, which tracks travel trends in Northern California, Utah and Arizona.
The afternoon of Nov. 25 is expected to experience the heaviest congestion on the roads, according to AAA Nevada.
“The wait-and-see approach travel trend continues to impact travel decisions,” said Sergio Avila, AAA Nevada spokesman. “The decision to travel is a personal one. For those who are considering making a trip, the majority will go by car, which provides the flexibility to modify holiday travel plans up until the day of departure.”
If you plan to travel for Thanksgiving, AAA recommends taking the following precautions.
— Check with state and local authorities along your route and destination to learn about any restrictions in place.
— Follow preventative measures like wearing a face mask, social distancing, and hand washing to lower the possibility of contracting COVID-19.
— If staying in a hotel, check ahead of time regarding protocols and safety requirements.
215 Beltway work
Work on the $29.6 million 215 Beltway widening project in Henderson forges ahead on schedule.
The stretch between Windmill Lane and Pecos Road is being expanded to four lanes on each side.
Approach slabs and barrier rails for the Eastern Avenue and Pecos bridges are set to be poured in the next three weeks, which will complete those structures, Erik Pappa, Clark County spokesman, said.
Work on the Spencer Street and Pebble Road bridges is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.
This week, paving of the center median from east of Pecos to Eastern will begin.
“Work is ongoing on the outside auxiliary lane construction between Pecos and Eastern,” Pappa said. “Grading and barrier rail (work) is continuing from Eastern to Windmill, which will be followed by paving around mid-December.”
The project won’t be completed until July because of the type of material being used on the final surface.
“The material is extremely temperature-dependent and there is a limited window when it can be placed,” Pappa said. “We are working with Nevada Department of Transportation to see if an alternative material can be used since this will be their right of way once this project is completed.”
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