Federal Highway Administration Reveals ‘National Turkeypike’ for 2021
According to the National Turkey Federation, the average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving last year was 16 pounds — meaning that America’s roads, highways and bridges carried nearly 740 million pounds of turkey to markets, restaurants and homes nationwide.
Each year, the White House continues its tradition of receiving a live turkey, which began with President Harry S. Truman in 1947. The more recent custom of a “turkey pardon” began in 1989 with President George H.W. Bush. For more information on the tradition of pardoning turkeys, visit https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey.
This year two turkeys named “Peanut Butter” and “Jelly” raised near Jasper, Indiana, crossed county roads, city streets, highways, bridges and a half-dozen interstates — a route declared by the Federal Highway Administration as America’s “National Turkeypike” for 2021 — before reaching the White House for their presidential pardons on November 19.
FHWA encourages all drivers to do their part in keeping Thanksgiving safe for themselves, their passengers and fowl freight and others on the U.S. Turkeypike and elsewhere this year.
