THANKSGIVING GUIDE: Travel, security updates for holiday weekend

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s about to be the most wonderful and also the busiest time of the year at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Channel 9 has put together a guide on what you need to know to avoid busy travel times and also what officers across the Charlotte area are doing to keep people safe.

Holiday Travel

The busiest travel days at the airport and on the roads are expected to be Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, and Sunday.

More than 30,000 people are expected to go through Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday in addition to the 100,000 passengers who will also be connecting through Charlotte. Airport officials estimate more than 31,000 flyers will go through Charlotte Douglas on Sunday.

Travel Info Links:

The holiday travel season comes as construction crews shut down a road at the airport, which could cause some backups. The road that used to go to the Cellphone Lot will be closed to everyone but construction traffic.

Airport officials relocated the Cellphone Lot to an area adjacent to Long-Term Parking Lot #1.

Officials hope brand-new bus lanes will help ease the backups in front of the terminal. They’re also hiring more security to keep traffic moving.

For people driving to their Thanksgiving destinations, the busiest travel days are expected to be Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

North Carolina Department of Transportation officials suspended construction on most interstate and construction projects to help ease any traffic congestion. The construction will be suspended from Tuesday morning until Monday night.

Thanksgiving-related stories:

Holiday Security

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police announced there will be extra security at malls during Black Friday shopping.

The department has a unique program in which recruits from the academy team up with officers Friday morning to make sure things go smoothly at malls while thousands of people shop.

“They’ll be working in three to four officer teams and they’re going to go around to individuals waiting to get into stores, talking to shoppers as they’re coming out and sharing best practices and tips,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Capt. Ryan Butler said.

.@CMPD is increasing its presence at malls on Black Friday. Officers will patrol on bikes, motorcycles, and marked vehicles to maximize visibility. Police Recruits will also assist with security operations to increase visibility in congested areas.
— CMPD News (@CMPD) November 21, 2017

CMPD also advised travelers to be patient while at the airport.

Officers warned there will be longer Transportation Security Administration lines. They recommend getting to the airport early.

[TSA Travel Tips]

Security Checkpoint Times for Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Monday:

Checkpoint A: 3:30 a.m.
Checkpoint B: 3:30 a.m.
Checkpoint C: 5:15 a.m.
Checkpoint D: 5 a.m.
Checkpoint E: 6:15 a.m.

“TSA’s recommendation is to arrive two hours early. That’s being at the airport. We encourage you to leave earlier to account for travel time,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Lt. Will Farrell said.