BOSTON (WHDH) - Ready or not, holiday travel is here! With 54 million Americans gearing up to travel for Thanksgiving next week, transportation departments are pausing projects and monitoring traffic as people hit the road, runway or rails to get to their destinations.

According to Massport, Thursday, Nov. 17, marks the first major influx when it comes to passengers heading in and out for Thanksgiving. With travel forecasts pointing to a particularly busy stretch, state and local transportation officials gathered for a news conference Wednesday to give updates before thousands of trips get underway.

“This is a period of time for us to focus on family and relax, and we do not want to have our Thanksgiving holidays interrupted by any tragic incident on our roadways,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler.

Inside the state’s Highway Operations Center in Boston, yearly planning for the holiday uptick in travel has been underway. Even with high gas prices, AAA estimates most travelers will drive to their destinations this year – a trend that played a role in MassDOT’s decision to pause most all project construction next week.

“There will be no scheduled construction on major arterial roadways, outside of established work zones, starting Tuesday morning through Sunday night,” said Jonathan Gulliver, MassDOT’s Highway Administrator.

AAA also estimates 4.5 million Americans will fly to their Thanksgiving feasts. At Logan International Airport, Massport is expecting big crowds that have not been seen for a few years due to the pandemic.

“We’re expecting 1.2 million customers to use Logan between Thursday and Monday, following Thanksgiving,” said Massport Aviation Director Ed Freni.

In total, AAA predicts 54 million people will travel 50 miles or more to get to their destinations, with more than 1.4 million expected to travel by train or bus, as well.

For those who plan on using the T or Commuter Rail, officials said extra help will be on hand.

“We’re also going to have additional staff available at South Station, North Station and Back Bay to be able to assist customers that are unfamiliar with our system,” MBTA Deputy General Manager Jeff Gonneville said.

AAA estimates that 2022 is expected to be the 3rd busiest travel year, behind 2005 and 2019.

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