PITTSBURGH \u2014 Record numbers of Americans are expected to travel over the Independence Day holiday weekend. <\/p>\n
At the Pennsylvania Turnpike\u2019s Hempfield Township service plaza, travelers told Channel 11 they hit the road early to avoid heavy traffic and soaring temperatures.<\/p>\n
AAA projects 72.2 million people will travel during the Independence Day holiday period, making it one of the busiest Fourth of July travel weekends on record. <\/p>\n
RELATED COVERAGE >>> Officials recognize lives lost to impaired driving, warn of increased patrols during holiday weekend<\/a><\/p>\n Mary Veilleux said her family was headed to Michigan for a family reunion.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are just thankful to be in our country; we\u2019re thankful for the United States of America; we\u2019re thankful to have freedom,\u201d Veilleux said.<\/p>\n Other travelers were heading to destinations including Minnesota and Maryland. <\/p>\n Kelly Shea said leaving before sunrise helped her family avoid traffic.<\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>> Boating under the influence enforcement campaign taking place during Fourth of July weekend<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSo far so good. We left very early this morning, anticipating it was going to be a busy travel day, so we left about 5:15 a.m., but it\u2019s been smooth sailing so far,\u201d Shea said.<\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>> \u2018Operation Yellow Jacket\u2019 initiative to focus on speed enforcement, Pennsylvania\u2019s Move Over Law<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been fantastic, no problems. The traffic\u2019s been great. Weather is hot, but that\u2019s OK,\u201d said Mark Johnson. <\/p>\n While traffic remained manageable for many drivers, the extreme heat was prompting some families to change their holiday plans to more indoor activities. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re gonna try and stay inside, stay cool, brought lots of water for the dog,\u201d said Shea. <\/p>\n The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission projects more than 6.5 million motorists will travel on the turnpike over the holiday weekend. <\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n