Report: Boston traffic 5th worst in U.S. on Labor Day weekend

By PBN Staff
Twitter: @ProvBusNews

BOSTON – Rhode Islanders planning to travel through Boston this holiday weekend might think about taking another route. INRIX, a provider of traffic information, predicts that Boston will claim the fifth spot for the worst cities for weekend road-trippers during the Labor Day weekend.

“As a gateway city as well as a popular destination, Boston will experience some of the worst traffic on the Friday getaway day,” Jim Bak, INRIX director of community relations said in prepared remarks.

“Friday traffic will be like one long rush hour, starting at 7:30 a.m. and lasting well into the evening. If you can leave Saturday, do it. If not, be prepared for a long travel day,” added Bak.

According to the INRIX report, vacationers traveling to Portland, Maine, or to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut should expect their trips to take twice as long, as significant delays are expected on both Interstates 90 and 95.

The INRIX report also suggested that Bristol-bound Boston travelers hoping to avoid Cape Cod traffic should travel via I-95 through Providence, which is expected to slow to 15 miles per hour through downtown Providence.

Boston drivers traveling to Cape Cod via either Route 3 or I-93 and I-495 can expect their trips to take three times longer than normal, with traffic congestion peaking at 5 p.m. on Friday. The report had no projection for backups headed to the Cape on I-195.