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The lowdown on holiday travel on the roads and at the airport in Hampton Roads

It's that time of year again. Right before Christmas and the New Year, roads and airports will be packed with people trying to make it to their loved ones. But just how many people are driving and flying this year?

The roads and airports will be filled with travelers looking to make it to families, friends and loved ones for the holidays.

On the roads

If you're driving this Christmas, you're part of the more than 112.5 million people across the U.S. hitting the roads this holiday.

That's the most since AAA started tracking holiday travel in 2001.

There was bumper to bumper traffic Friday afternoon in Newport News. One of those drivers was Jenny Kinter. She's heading North of Pittsburgh to visit her in-laws.

“I hate traveling I only do it for family,” Kinter said. “We are going the 24th through 26th because I don't think too many people will be on the road those days.”

In Virginia, more than three million people are traveling this holiday, with 90% of them traveling by car.

INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, predicts travel times in some cities could be as much as four times longer than a normal trip.

Chelsea Parks was filling up her gas tank at Wawa Friday afternoon. Her family lives in Mississippi but she plans to meet them halfway in Georgia. She's not looking forward to the drive.

“I really don't look forward to any of the traveling during the holidays,” Parks said. “Moving from Mississippi to Virginia we don't have as much traffic as here, but you get used to it.”

AAA says Thursday, December 20 was the worst day to travel, whether by car, airplane or train.

At the ORF airport

Rain across the county caused several delays for passengers. Airport officials said if you are planning to fly before Christmas, make sure you double-check your flight to make sure it’s not delayed or canceled. 

All day Friday, travelers filled the airport to catch flights and reunite with friends and family for Christmas. Several others waited for their loved ones to come to them at Norfolk International Airport.

“We were literally sitting on Santa’s lap the other day and I was like I hope that he can really come home on the 21st and plans don’t change because of the snow and that would a wish come true,” Alexis Deegan explained.

Alexis Deegan said she waited a few hours Friday for her husband. She said her daughter hasn’t seen her dad since she was a few months old!

Deegan said, “He’s been gone for seven months and he’s in the Navy and we are waiting for him to come home for Christmas.”

On Friday, her wish came true. She said she can’t wait for her family to enjoy the holidays together.

“Having him home is going to be like a blessing because he gets to be with her and she didn’t know how to walk yet and she’s about to so he can be there for that I get to be with my best friend and soulmate,” Deegan said.

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