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ODOT Construction on Hold While Ohioans Travel for Thanksgiving

ODOT sign warning drivers to buckle up
ODOT
/
Ohio Department of Transportation
The Ohio Department of Transportation is encouraging drivers to exercise caution while traveling for the holidays.

Travel officials are predicting this to be one of the busiest Thanksgiving weekends on the roads, and crews are taking that into account when it comes to construction projects.

AAA is predicting about 2.3 million Ohioans will be traveling further than 50 miles for the holiday. It hasn't been that busy since 2005.

And 89% of Ohio travelers will be on the roads.

The Ohio Department of Transportation's Matt Bruning said ODOT will suspend roadwork around the state.

"So we know with all that extra traffic that we need to open up as many lanes as possible, and we've got a handful of work zones across the state that are still ongoing," he said. "So where we can, we're going to remove all the orange barrels."

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said seven people were killed in crashes last year. They urge people to stay alert and buckle up.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.