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Traffic mostly smooth as holiday exodus begins

E-mail|Link|Comments () September 4, 2009 03:52 PM

By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent

With meteorologists forecasting a near-perfect Labor Day weekend, the mass exodus out of Boston has begun.

Route 3 South at Exit 1 this afternoon

Travelers headed north or south out of Boston will hit about 20-minute delays on Interstate 93 this afternoon, fairly normal for this time of day. But those headed west look to have an easy ride on the Massachusetts Turnpike, according to SmarTraveler Boston, the local traffic information service.

Considering today is one of the busiest travel days of the year, congestion is relatively light, said Mike King of SmarTraveler.

“Surprisingly, it’s actually not too bad,” he said. “Sometimes people will make the early escape Thursday instead of Friday.”

At the gateway to Cape Cod, traffic is backed up for several miles at both the Sagamore and Bourne bridges, King said.

Route 1 northbound from Boston to Topsfield may pose the longest delay, with the expected travel time 30 minutes longer than usual.

King said between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. today is the prime time for getaway drivers to clog the roads. Traffic will then let up until the early evening on Monday.

But those waiting in traffic now are likely to enjoy their weekends later. Forecasters are predicting a sunny and dry long weekend.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny, reaching temperatures in the 80s. Sunday and Monday will be a bit cooler, with highs in the 70s, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Simpson, who said he had beach plans himself.

Simpson found one flaw in an otherwise perfect weekend.

“There may be a sprinkle Sunday morning,” he said.