Some 30 million people are set to hit the road during this year’s Chuseok holiday as the nation celebrates the first major holiday since all social distancing measures were lifted.

The transportation ministry revealed the estimate on Wednesday while announcing that it designated this Thursday to next Monday as a period of special transportation measures.

The ministry quoted the Korea Transport Institute’s estimate that during the five-day period, over 30 million people are set to travel to their hometowns, a daily average of some six million. The institute added that nearly 91 percent of the home-bound travelers will be taking their own vehicles.

Traffic congestion is set to peak on the day of Chuseok, which falls on Saturday, and the following day. 

Special toll exemptions will be in place between Thursday and next Monday, unlike the previous two years when the government collected the tolls to limit the spread of the virus.

Temporary screening centers will operate at nine rest stops on major highways to enable the public to get PCR tests free of charge during the holidays.