Holiday travel: Roads expected to be busy starting this weekend as families gather for the holidays

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As we get ready for the holidays, AAA predicts that millions of Floridians will drive 50 miles or more to get to their destination.

That means plan on roads feeling a little more packed starting this weekend.

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It’s expected to be the second busiest Christmas and New Year holiday travel season on record, second to only the 2003 numbers.

Meanwhile, Inrix, a transportation data company, says tomorrow and Thursday, Dec. 28, will be the most congested days on the roadways.

Read: CDC asking public to test early as hospitalizations rise for respiratory viruses

The best times to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic will be before 10 a.m. tomorrow and before noon every other day of the holiday period.

Get on the roads plenty early, and Florida Highway Patrol would also like to remind drivers to stay aware.

“We have people coming from out of state. There are different driving styles and different ages, so it’s definitely important for everyone to drive responsibly and be aware while they are driving,” Trooper Migdalisis Garcia with FHP said.

Inrix also suggests that if you can’t get on the roads in the early morning, driving after 7 p.m. is the next best time to avoid headaches.

Read: ‘It’s just not safe:’ Parents frustrated as more than 160 Duval school buses delayed or didn’t show

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