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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With predictions by AAA that nearly 50 million people will hit the road for the long Thanksgiving weekend, Mass-DOT officials took proactive steps Tuesday to ease some of the traffic pressure points.
HOV lanes on Interstate 93 between Quincy and Boston will be opened early on Tuesday and Wednesday. The lanes will be open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, which is considered to be one of the worst days of the year for driving. However, officials encourage holiday travelers to leave well ahead of those times.
For instance, according to Google, travelers should avoid driving at 3 p.m. Wednesday, when traffic is expected to be at its peak.
Post Thanksgiving, Goggle suggests traveling in the Boston area at 3 p.m. on Black Friday, when traffic is once again expected to be as its worst.
As for the best time to be on the road, travel experts suggest the best time to leave is 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to Google. The trip home will be best starting at at 6 a.m. Sunday.
For people flying, The Associated Press reports airlines have added hundreds of extra flights compared to Thanksgiving 2018 in an effort to keep up with the demand. The federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) estimates more than 2.7 million people will go through security security checkpoints on Wednesday alone.
The weather was also expected to affect holiday travel times. The National Weather Service predicted dry conditions and mild temperatures through Wednesday morning, with wind and rain moving over the region by late Wednesday. Forecasters say rain could continue into the early morning hours of Thanksgiving, and wind is expected to remain gusty through Thanksgiving into Friday.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports
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