AAA predicts 73 million Americans and 5 million Floridians will hit the roads this Thanksgiving.

TAMPA, Fla. — It’s like any Thanksgiving — one person makes the turkey, someone else brings the stuffing and someone handles dessert.

On Monday, the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Transportation and AAA had a pre-holiday huddle of their own, discussing what it will take to keep Florida’s highways running smoothly during the busiest travel week of the year.

AAA once again is predicting a record holiday travel season with nearly 82 million Americans expected to travel between Tuesday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Dec. 1. 

AAA predicts 73 million Americans will hit the road, including close to 5 million in Florida.

“We’re definitely gearing up for busy roads and a lot of calls,” AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said.

FDOT says it’s doing what it can to help alleviate the backup, pausing all construction projects on state roads next Wednesday through Sunday.

“We don’t want to be the reason that we delay you getting to your family’s destination,” FDOT spokesperson Kris Carson said. “Any available lane that we can feasibly open — of course, if there’s a trench dug or the roadways dug up, we can’t do that — but any available lane that we can open, we will, starting next Wednesday.”

FDOT urges travelers to check FL511.com before beginning a trip for a live look at traffic and crash data to help plan the best route.

Florida Highway Patrol said they’ll be doing the same that they do year-round — trying to keep highways safe — but are reminding passengers to have patience, not drive aggressively, buckle up and not drive after drinking or while distracted.

“From Pensacola to Key West, Jacksonville to Fort Myers, you’re gonna see black and tan cars out there doing what we do best, which is make the highways safe,” said Sgt. Steve Gaskins with FHP.

While the majority of Americans who travel will do so on the roadways, approximately 6 million are expected to fly, per AAA.

Tampa International Airport and other airports across the country are now gearing up for their busy season now that the FAA finally lifted air traffic reductions Monday that had caused severe delays and cancellations nationwide for over a week. 

The planning by each agency and mode of transportation may be different over the next week, but the focus for all is on getting you to your Thanksgiving dinner safely.