As state officials try to head off a possible strike of turnpike workers, they said they are operating under a best-case scenario for the millions of drivers expected to hit Pennsylvania's highways this Thanksgiving.

For students traveling over land to their Turkey Day destination, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) have postponed all roadway construction.

Also, the Pennsylvania State Police are setting up checkpoints in some accident-prone areas to prevent both injuries and traffic tie-ups.

"We stop construction, picking up trash, making lines and fixing potholes until after the holiday," Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman Carl DeFebo said.

"It just makes it easier on everyone," he added.

However, officials say the tactic is not perfect.

PennDOT spokeswoman Marla Fannin said workers cannot clear up every single problem related to construction zones.

"There won't be [construction] activity, but since the zones will still be in place, there will be some narrow lanes and barricades," she said.

Luckily for those traveling on I-80 this week, construction at the Viaduct Bridge, at the Clearfield and Centre County division line, was completed. There is no longer a crossover in that zone, and traffic should move quite smoothly through there, Fannin said.

But other major highways are not as fortunate, she added.

There are interstate and non-interstate roads that are suffering from road restrictions around the state.

As for the state police, they are keeping up with the safety concerns by possibly implementing safety checkpoints for certain areas of the roads, Linette Quinn, spokeswoman for the state police, said.

"All over the state there will be troopers, some on routine patrol and others at some checkpoints where there have been accidents in the past," she said.

The state police have certain computer software that can predict or estimate where areas more prone to accidents may be, Quinn said.

And for those areas -- mostly on side roads to keep the traffic flow moving -- the checkpoints will be set up.

Two of the main focuses for state police are seatbelt usage and DUIs, she added.

"We still have the 'Click it or Ticket' campaign going on," Quinn said.

"If you're stopped for any violation and not wearing a seatbelt, you can be ticketed for that as well."

The fines and violations that can be acquired during Thanksgiving travel are easily avoided by following turnpike travel etiquette.

But, for those who do violate the law, a hefty hole in their pockets may result, she added.

Starting tomorrow and continuing until Sunday is the heaviest travel period of the year, so leaving earlier in the day may not do the trick to avoid traffic, DeFebo said.

"Thursday morning my family leaves from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh and usually don't run into problems; that's the insider tip," he said.

"You really have to leave a day earlier or come back a day later, because everyone gets the same idea to leave earlier the day before Thanksgiving," he added. "You need to be ahead of the game or you'll run into traffic."