BOSTON — Are you hitting the road next week to visit family and friends for the Thanksgiving holiday? If so, you’ll want to take a close look at a new Massachusetts Department of Transportation report that forecasts that best and worst times to drive on all of the major highways across the state.
[ Live traffic updates and delays ]
State transportation officials on Wednesday warned travelers that their holiday escape will likely be a lot more crowded this year because post-pandemic travel continues to climb to high levels of congestion.
Anyone who plans to use Massachusetts highways on any day next week is urged to plan ahead. In a special holiday travel report, MassDOT flagged specific days and times when motorists might find the heaviest traffic on major highways.
[ Bright Thanksgiving Forecast ]
AAA is predicting some of the busiest holiday travel in two decades this year, among people who will travel more than 50 miles or more from home for Thanksgiving.
Monday is a “good day to travel” on the eastbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike with “little to no congestion” expected, according to MassDOT. “Minor” congestion is expected through the remainder of the week before “heavy” traffic builds over the weekend.
Interstate 90 westbound should see the heaviest travel on Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. MassDOT says it will be the “worst travel time of the week.” Traffic will also be heavy on Thanksgiving Day between 10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and Friday between 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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Below is a list of all of MassDOT’s daily travel advisories for major holiday travel routes. Click the Fullscreen icon in the bottom right corner for even easier viewing.
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