NEWTON, Mass. — Are you hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the unofficial start of summer? If so, you better plan for extra time, Massachusetts transportation officials warned.
“We historically see increased travel volumes in the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend,” Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. “So, we want to remind people to plan for extra time, avoid driving distracted, consult with available travel and weather resources, and arrive safely at your destination.”
Due to the expected increase in traffic volume on highways and roads across the Bay State, MassDOT created a traffic forecast for the holiday weekend. The agency shared the following tips for drivers:
- Friday, May 23, is expected to be the busiest travel day
- On Saturday, May 24, drivers are encouraged to avoid morning travel with traffic expected to be lightest in the evening
- On Sunday, May 25, and Monday, May 26, traffic is expected to be heaviest during peak hours of 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The I-93 Boston-Quincy HOV lane will open to drivers at 1 p.m. on Friday, however, it won’t be deployed on Monday.
MassDOT encouraged the public to take public transportation if possible.
AAA estimates that about 39.4 million people nationwide will travel by car this weekend.
For more information on traffic conditions, drivers 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.
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