Watch: Thanksgiving viral footage shows LA freeways flooded with cars as 73 million expected to hit the roads this holiday

The United States is bracing for one of its busiest travel weeks of the year as millions of visitors flock to different parts of the country. Traffic across the Western states has surged, with every major mode of travel facing heavy congestion.

Aerial footage captured by news helicopters revealed massive backups along the 405 Freeway and the 10 Freeway, where brake lights stretched for miles, forming what appeared to be a river of red across downtown Los Angeles.

‘Annual shot we see every year’: Reporter describe sky-high gridlock

In the video, one side of the road looked yellow and another side red; both seemed at a standstill as thousands of vehicles were waiting to arrive at their destination ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday season. Anchors noted that the scene has become a familiar holiday tradition.

“A live look at traffic. This is that annual shot we see every year,” one anchor said as SkyFox flew over the 10 and 405 interchange. “Wednesday night expected to be the busiest day on the roads… The worst time estimated to be between two and six in the afternoon tomorrow.”


Despite pockets of slow-moving vehicles, parts of the freeway interchange, including the ramp to the 10, were surprisingly clear in the footage, with anchors joking that it might be the “way to go.”

Nationwide Travel Surge Expected to Break Records

The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates 73 million people across the United States will travel by car over the Thanksgiving weekend, 1.3 million more than last year, marking one of the busiest holiday periods in decades, reports ABC News.