How to beat Boston traffic this Labor Day weekend

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.