As people wind down their Thanksgiving holiday weekend this Sunday, traffic is likely to increase dramatically on Interstate 70, especially between Columbia and Wentzville.The Missouri Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time for traveling this Sunday during the peak travel times of 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Depending on their destinations, drivers might also want to consider taking U.S. Route 50 as an alternate to I-70 on Sunday.“Last year the average speed on I-70 the Sunday after Thanksgiving dropped to around 35 mph during peak travel times in some areas, a drastic reduction from the 70 mph speed limit folks are used to driving,” said David Silvester, district engineer for MoDOT’s Central District.He attributed a portion of the increase in traffic to students returning to school at the many universities and colleges in mid-Missouri.Silvester noted MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map, located at www.modot.org, provides a variety of tools to help drivers be more prepared. The map shows current traffic conditions, including incidents and real-time traffic flow.

• Incidents - Vehicle crashes and other incidents are noted on the map, which will inform drivers that the road is closed, to expect delays or that delays are possible.
• Real-time traffic flow - The map also shows real-time traffic flow, with green showing traffic is moving normally, yellow indicating that traffic is moving at a medium rate and red meaning traffic is moving slowly.
• Traffic cameras – A number of traffic cameras along the I-70 corridor provide a view of traffic flow at various locations.