An estimated 2.8 million Tennesseans will travel during the Christmas holiday, marking a roughly 2% increase from 2024.
The vast majority of those travelers, about 2.6 million, will make the trek by car, and a much smaller proportion of Tennesseans, about 76,600, will travel by plane. AAA calculated the projections, which encompass a 13-day window from Dec. 20 to Jan. 1.
To accommodate an influx of motorists, the Tennessee Department of Transportation is pausing most lane closure activity on interstates and state highways from 11:59 p.m. Tuesday through 11:59 p.m. Jan. 2.
All construction-related closures will be suspended during that period, although there will be exceptions for a few long-term closures that must remain for safety, the agency said.
Workers may still be onsite in some construction zones. Drivers convicted of speeding through work zones where workers are present face a fine of $250 to $500, plus court fees and possible increases in insurance premiums.