Fourth of July weekend travel: Best, worst times to drive in Mass., most congested routes

DEDHAM, Mass. — Fourth of July weekend travel on roads in Massachusetts could be nightmarish, depending on when you leave your house and what route you take to your destination.

“Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the summer,” Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. “MassDOT encourages travelers to plan ahead, expect delays, and drive safely to make sure everyone enjoys the holiday weekend."

AAA projects 61.6 million people nationwide will travel by car during this Independence Day holiday period, a 2.2% increase over last year, and the highest volume on record.

To mitigate headaches for Bay Staters, MassDOT says it analyzed traffic data to create a local travel forecast.

Here are MassDOT’s best and worst times to drive:

• The heaviest traffic is expected on Wednesday, July 2, and Thursday, July 3, with delays extending into the evening.
• On Friday, July 4, travelers are advised to avoid midday and afternoon travel due to expected peak congestion.
• Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6, are also expected to see heavier traffic throughout the day, especially in the morning and afternoon hours.

Here are MassDOT’s most congested routes:

• Wednesday: Route 1, Route 6, Route 24, Route 24, Interstate 290, Interstate 495, Interstate 90, Interstate 93, Interstate 95
• Thursday: Route 3, Route 25, Interstate 495, Interstate 90, Interstate 95
• Saturday: Route 3, Route 6, Route 28, Interstate 90, Interstate 93, Interstate 95, Interstate 495
• Sunday: Route 3, Route 6, Route 28, Interstate 84, Interstate 90, Interstate 91, Interstate 95, Interstate 290, Interstate 495

The I-93 Boston-Quincy High Occupancy Vehicle lane will deploy early at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. It will not be deployed on July 4 and will return to normal deployment times on July 7.

For more information on traffic conditions, travelers are encouraged to download the Mass511 mobile app or visit www.mass511.com to view live cameras, travel times, real-time traffic conditions, and project information before setting out on the road.

For those flying in and out of Boston Logan International Airport, Massport is expecting an increase in passengers around the weekend. Travelers are urged to use public transit and HOV modes such as the MBTA’s Blue Line, Silver Line, and Logan Express.

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