The Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many people travel to visit family and friends and appreciate everything they have to be thankful for in life.

Travel can take one close to home or far away. While some will board airplanes and jet out, many more will gas up their cars and hit the road.

Whether it be for traveling home or somewhere else for the weekend or staying in town for Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, here's a look at what you need to know:

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Who am I going to be sharing the road with?

AAA estimates 2.8 million Illinoisans will be traveling in some capacity over the Thanksgiving weekend, with about 2.4 million of them traveling by car. The automotive travel numbers are considered to be in line with statistics from 2021, which had a similar number of people traveling by car.

Nationwide, more than 48 million people will drive to their destination on Thanksgiving, making up 89% of all travelers.

The large number of cars on the road comes as gas prices remain stubbornly high, although lower than what they were over the summer. Statewide, AAA has the average price of gas at $3.94 per gallon, 38 cents higher than this time last year. However, in Springfield, gas prices are much lower than the average with the cost sitting at $3.63 per gallon.

Molly Hart, a spokesperson for AAA, said in a press release that higher gas prices weren't deterring too many people from heading out on the roadways this year.

"Higher gas prices don’t seem to be enough to stop people from traveling to be with family and friends," Hart said. "We’ve found that when gas prices are high, travelers look to offset the added cost by spending less on a hotel, shopping or dining out."

Which areas should I be keeping an eye out for in terms of traffic congestion?

Hart said the various roadways around Chicago will be the toughest for travelers over the weekend. Information from the Illinois Department of Transportation indicates that highways around the city, such as the Eisenhower, Dan Ryan and Kennedy expressways, are usually the busiest for travelers, as they converge around the always-bustling downtown area.

In addition, Illinois State Police said that the Metro East and Springfield areas would be busy as they are areas where interstate highways converge with one another.

AAA recommends that people get out on the roads early in the day – particularly before 8 a.m. – or late at night – after 8 p.m. – in order to have the smoothest travel on the highways this weekend.

What about the weather this weekend?

The forecast across central Illinois calls for mild conditions, but rain could impact things on the roadways at times on Saturday and Sunday.

According to the National Weather Service, mostly cloudy and cool conditions are expected Friday, but another storm system is slated to enter the area on Saturday, with rainfall totals approaching an inch in some areas.

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Throughout the weekend, temperatures will hover somewhere in the 50-degree range.

How about road construction?

Here in central Illinois, one should receive a reprieve from road closures thanks to ongoing construction projects. IDOT announced Tuesday that it would be opening sections of highways typically closed for construction as a way to reduce the congestion that comes with the Thanksgiving holiday.

While some portions of some roads will remain closed through the holiday, there are none to speak of in IDOT's District 6, home to Springfield and much of the surrounding area. Still, with many people going into areas of the state with road closures and congestion, IDOT is recommending that people allow for extra time through these areas and keep themselves alert for workers and work equipment.

What about Black Friday shopping and Small Business Saturday downtown? What should I keep an eye out for?

The Springfield Police Department said that extra patrols would be available around retail establishments in order to respond to traffic-related issues. SPD also said that walking patrols will also be available Saturday in downtown and extra patrols will also be present throughout the holiday season.

TJ Heavisides, the city's traffic engineer, said high traffic shopping areas, such as Parkway Pointe, Dirksen Parkway and White Oaks Mall, will be busy on Black Friday. He recommends that people make plans to ensure they can move around these areas safely, through allowing plenty of time to get to a destination, using technology such as Google Maps to determine which times are busiest and by shopping later in the day rather than at 4 a.m.

"The time of day is big," Heavisides said. "As the evening goes on, people tend to be out shopping less, so if you can wait, sometimes that's a better option."

As for the downtown area, traffic patterns should be normal, but people are asked to be aware of road closures and construction work in and around downtown, particularly those areas impacted by the Springfield Rail Improvements Project and work at the state Capitol Complex.

Heavisides said Washington Street between Fifth and Sixth streets would be closed to accommodate this weekend's events, including Downtown Springfield Inc.'s Old Capitol Holiday Walks and Memorial Health's Holiday Fest. Fifth and Sixth streets will also be reduced to one lane to allow sleigh rides being held as part of the two events.

After Thanksgiving, the city is planning to close several lanes of traffic on Monroe Street between Spring and Second streets to accommodate construction at the state Capitol Complex. The closures will begin Dec. 5 and include shutting off the traffic signals in the intersection of Monroe and Spring in order to alleviate potential congestion.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Here's what you need to know about Thanksgiving weekend traffic in Illinois