Aug 30, 2023 - News

How to beat Boston traffic this Labor Day weekend

Illustration of a steering wheel as a clock with a highlighted portion in red — Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Thursday afternoon is projected to be the busiest time on the road ahead of Labor Day weekend, especially if you're headed down the Cape.

Driving the news: Peak congestion is expected Thursday around 3:30pm on the main route between Boston and Hyannis along I-93 and Route 6, according to INRIX, a global provider of transportation data that works with AAA to find the best/worst car travel times.

The typical Cape-bound route will take 53.8% longer than usual.
The worst time to return to Boston will be Monday at 2:45pm, when it could take 45.5% longer than normal.

Why it matters: Planning to drive during off times could save you hours in the car.

The busiest time to depart from Boston to Manchester, New Hampshire, is 3:15pm tomorrow.

I-95 south to New York will get clogged around 4:30pm today.

Overall, the times with the least traffic this holiday weekend nationally, INRIX reports, are:

Thursday before 7am
Friday before 11am
Saturday after 6pm
Sunday anytime (minimal traffic is expected overall)
Monday after 7pm

What they're saying: "If you must travel during heavy traffic, navigation apps and local departments of transportation can help steer drivers around long delays," says Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.

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How to beat Boston traffic this Labor Day weekend

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