Pre-Thanksgiving Rush Stuffs Freeways, Airport

It’s probably no consolation to harried travelers caught in a crush on the freeway or the airport check-in line, but officials say traffic this Thanksgiving weekend is no worse than usual.

About 5.4 million drivers are expected to hit Western highways from Colorado to California this weekend, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. But getaway traffic in Orange County early Wednesday evening was not much worse than a typical rush hour, said California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Reeves.

He said the main trouble spots seemed to be the Riverside Freeway through Orange County and the Orange Freeway extending north from there.

“It looks like everybody’s heading north and east to get out of town for the holidays,” Reeves said.

Everybody, that is, except for the legions at John Wayne Airport awaiting outbound flights.

Airport spokeswoman Kathleen Campini Chambers said the facility probably served 24,000 passengers Wednesday and will see 26,000 on Sunday--about the same figures as last year. She said the Wednesday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend are the airport’s busiest days any year.

“We’ve had a steady buildup of passengers today, but it hasn’t been overwhelming,” Chambers said Wednesday.

She suggested that travelers arrive at the airport at least an hour before their flights to guard against delays.

Leaving extra time for trips is a good idea for motorists too, said Jeffrey Spring, spokesman for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Adding to the usual admonitions against driving in haste or under the influence, Spring emphasized that motorists should make sure they “get plenty of rest before they hit the road, especially on the way back Sunday.”