(NECN: Alysha Palumbo, Framingham, Mass.) - Rainy roadways made for a messy pre-Thanksgiving commute on the Massachusetts Turnpike Wednesday as thousands of travelers headed home for the holidays.
Tim Gray, who's heading to Albany, NY said, "It’s no fun, it’s been making me nervous, the rain’s making my car shake a little bit."
Loretta Sullivan, who's traveling to Worcester said, "The roads haven’t actually been that bad but definitely with the rain coming down it’s difficult to drive so I’m going to put in some more windshield washer fluid and fill up and hopefully make it there quickly."
Earlier in the day, traffic was more of a headache, with backups at the major interchanges that definitely delayed the drive home.
"It’s horrible but it’s been like this for such a long time it’s almost the norm on the Mass Pike, it really is, there’s no reason I mean there’s no explanation for it, this is an everyday thing," said Craig Hill, who was going home to Milford, Mass.
With the rain forecast so far in advance, many drivers got an early jump on their holiday travel, leaving early Wednesday or even Tuesday. Those who stuck it out for an entire workday felt they were rewarded with an easier drive home.
"I think people definitely took off yesterday or left early today so those of us that worked a full day kind of beat the traffic in that respect," Sullivan said.
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Mike Isaia, who's heading home to New York said, "A little congestion on the Pike and then hopefully not so bad, I’m hoping I came in on the tail end of it."
But as the temperatures continue to plummet, the concern for drivers at the tail end of this holiday commute is whether they’ll hit patches of ice or even snow.
Scott Berghegger, who's driving to New Jersey, said, "This is actually a brand new car for me so I don’t know how it is in the winter yet so I’m kind of concerned about that but I think it will be alright."
