by Justin Hubbarth
Daily Illini reporter

Students traveling home today and tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday will have to deal with some increased patrols on I-57, the major thoroughfare to the Chicagoland area.

With a mass of students returning to their homes today and Wednesday, state police will put more patrol cars on the highways, according to Master Sgt. William Sherman of the Illinois State Police.

Sherman said there would be normal patrol numbers today, but Wednesday’s increased enforcement will continue through the entire Thanksgiving weekend; he said Wednesday and Sunday are the busiest travel days.

"We will have more patrol cars and stepped up police presence throughout the entire holiday period," said Sherman.

Sherman said the police will look for aggressive driving behavior such as weaving in and out of lanes, following other cars too closely and speeding.

According to Dan Mestelle, project engineer for the Illinois Department Of Transportation, construction on I-57 in Ford County near the town of Paxton could also hassle students’ journeys home.

Mestelle said that along a four-mile stretch of I-57, the number of lanes has shrunk from two to one in both the north and southbound lanes because of bridgework in the area.

Mestelle also advised taking Route 45, which runs parallel to I-57 as an alternative. Mestelle expects heavy traffic on the main highways.

"The delays will just depend on the flow of people," he said.

Holiday traffic, as troublesome as it might be, is often inevitable.

"There’s nothing we can do about that," said Sherman. "Tempers will flare and we will definitely keep an eye out for that."

Because of the construction, the State Police will be on the lookout for aggressive and unsafe drivers and will take every measure to see that everyone is safe on the roadways this holiday season, Sherman said.

"We will be using sophisticated radar equipment like laser radars and maybe even an airplane," said Sherman.

Sherman also said police might use covert cars -- unmarked police cars fully equipped with radar -- during the holiday weekend.

Drivers who do get caught speeding should be prepared to pay hefty fines.

"The basic fine is $75. If the driver is 21 miles over the speed limit, it is $95 and if they’re 31 miles over the speed limit, then it’s $105 plus an appearance in court," said Sherman.