< Back to front page Text size – +

Transportation officials warn of Labor Day backups

E-mail|Link|Comments () September 4, 2009 09:55 AM

By Globe Staff

Planning that Labor Day weekend getaway? State transportation officials are offering a review of the traffic hotspots so that people can try to avoid those stressful traffic jams.

Traffic flowed freely this morning on Route 3 at Route 29 in Chelmsford

On the Massachusetts Turnpike, the heaviest traffic is expected today in the westbound direction from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Interstate 84 interchange (Exit 9) in Sturbridge.

Traffic is expected to be heavy on the Turnpike at the I-495 interchange (Exit 11A). Officials estimate that 40,000 cars will travel through that interchange today. Traffic is also expected to be heavy at the Interstate 290 interchange (Exit 10) and at Exit 2 in Lee because of the Tanglewood Jazz Festival.

The early afternoon hours of Friday are expected to bring slowdowns on Route 3 southbound and Route 25 eastbound as people head to Cape Cod.

Traffic on I-93 and I-95 is expected to be heavy as holidaymakers head north to new Hampshire and beyond, with backups on I-95 northbound and I-495 northbound near Salisbury because of the New Hampshire tolls.

Officials invited drivers to call 511 for up-to-date traffic information. On Thursday, officials said they were making available on the Internet the feeds from 70 live cameras that were previously available only to the people in the state highway department's operations center. The officials said they hoped that it would help people to better plan their commutes and vacations.

Just before Memorial Day, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority announced it was making a set of live traffic cameras available on a different website.

On Monday, it will be deja vu all over again -- more slowdowns and backups are expected as people, after enjoying the long weekend, finally return home.