Millions expected to hit the roads, Chicago airports ahead of Thanksgiving | See best travel times

CHICAGO (WLS) -- With Thanksgiving just one day away, AAA expects Wednesday to be the busiest day on the roads.

The Illinois Tollway expects about 2 million drivers to use its tollway system Wednesday alone.

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The best time was to leave is before 10 a.m. The worst time to be on the road is between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday. That's when most folks will be driving to their holiday destination, according to travel data.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the outbound Kennedy Expressway was absolutely crawling, and some of the construction barrels on the road certainly weren't helping.

All afternoon, it's been bumper-to-bumper on many area expressways as people head out for the Thanksgiving holiday. AAA is expecting this to be perhaps the busiest ever traffic-wise, both nationally and in Illinois.

Many travelers opted to drive rather than fly.

Alan Silverstein filled up his tank to head Wednesday morning to Minneapolis to visit his wife's family.

"We're just trying to get there at a solid hour before it gets dark and driving to avoid the flying rush at the airports today," Silverstein said.

They are joining the over 71 million people traveling by car this Thanksgiving, according to AAA. Silverstein said he preferred the drive to avoid the airports during the holiday rush.

The good news is AAA said gas prices at the pump are lower this year compared to last Thanksgiving. The national average could drop below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021.

IDOT said lanes that have been closed for construction will reopen to help with traffic Wednesday through Sunday.

"I mean, it's going really smooth," holiday traveler Dana Cleveringa. "There's a little bit of stop and go, but it's pretty smooth. I mean, this weather is ideal. There's no snow."

Wednesday is also a busy day for Amtrak. It's the second busiest day of the year, in fact. Only Sunday will be busier.

"It's really fast, and I also get more leg room, you know. It's cheaper than flying," holiday traveler Alma Sales said. "But it's nice to have the wi-fi and everything and just relax."

In the morning at union station, passengers were piling on trains.

"It's relaxing, and I don't like to drive, and flying is a little awkward sometimes, but the train, I can sit," holiday traveler Susan Tetrault said. "I can nap. I can read a book. I can have a glass of wine."

Amtrak said ridership, for some time, has been above pre-pandemic levels.

"We had a strong year ending in September, strong October, strong November," Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said. "It's going to be another strong Thanksgiving, so people should allow some time."

And of course, airports across the country are bustling, though ABC7 was surprised to find Midway rather quiet around the lunch hour. Perhaps people got on planes early in the morning to try to beat the rush.

TSA expects to screen 18.3 million people during the holiday travel period. That's about 6% more travelers than last year.

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TSA reminds all travelers to head to the airport early.

Thankfully it's been dry so far Wednesday. The weather's been cooperating, making the day no more stressful than it needs to be.