Millions hit the roads, rails and skies for the Thanksgiving holiday

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Millions of Americans are hitting the roads, rails and skies this Thanksgiving in what is expected to be one of the busiest holiday weekends in recent memory.

AAA projects 50.9 million people across the U.S. will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving, which is a 3.3 percent increase over last year and the largest projected number of travelers since 2007. An estimated 44.5 million will be driving.

Locally, the Port Authority is forecasting approximately 3.4 million vehicles will use its bridges and tunnels, and New Jersey Transit is providing additional capacity to Newark Liberty International Airport.

The Port Authority is predicting about 562,400 passengers will use Newark Liberty, and hundreds of thousands more are expected to pass through LaGuardia and JFK airports.

Highway construction crews will hold off on any non-essential lane closures this holiday weekend to ease traffic during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that non-essential lane and bridge closures on New York state highways will be suspended from Wednesday morning through Monday morning.

Officials are also reminding all travelers to celebrate responsibly and drive safely.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)