The sour economy and a statewide unemployment rate of 11 percent are expected to put a damper on the number of travelers hitting the road for Thanksgiving, according to AAA Carolinas.
In projections released yesterday, AAA estimated that about 1,167,000 North Carolinians will travel more than 50 miles from their home this year. That's an increase of only about 27,000 people, or about 2.3 percent, over last year.
"Last year, we were right in the heart of the economic crisis," said Tom Crosby, a spokesman for AAA Carolinas. "We're back up a little from that, but still not back to 2007 levels."
One of the factors hindering the comeback is an increase in gasoline prices. Last year, the price at the pump during the holidays was $1.94 a gallon in Winston-Salem. As of yesterday, the average price in the city was $2.54. But that was the still the cheapest gas of any city in North Carolina surveyed by AAA Carolinas.
While automobile travel will increase slightly, air travel is expected to decline, continuing a trend that dates back to the start of the decade, Crosby said.
The auto club predicts that 77,000 people will fly, a decrease from last year of about 5,000 people, or a little more than 6 percent. "The air travel situation is going to drive some people into their cars," he said.
Crosby said lines for security checks, increases in airline surcharges and problems with delays have led people away from airlines for holiday travel.
Nationally, air travel is expected to decline by almost 7 percent to about 2.3 million. That represents part of a total drop of about 62 percent since the high of 6.2 million in 2000.
The N.C. Department of Transportation is suspending most roadwork through the holidays beginning at 4 p.m. today. One local exception is on the Interstate 85 interchange with N.C. 62 near High Point. No work will be done, but the right lane in each direction of the interstate will remain closed.
Also, Interstate 40 about two miles from the Tennessee border is still closed following a rockslide in October. Motorists traveling west can use a detour to Interstate 240 in Asheville to Interstate 26 westbound and south on Interstate 81. The detour adds about 53 miles, the DOT said.
Travelers in Northwest North Carolina should find mostly decent conditions over the holidays, said Robert Stonefield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va.
He said that Wednesday and most of Thursday will be dry with temperatures in the 60s. The best chance for rain will be Thursday night. "That's going to be a light rain," he said.
It will clear up but somewhat colder over the weekend, he said.
pgarber@wsjournal.com
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