MA 2018 Thanksgiving Travel Guide: Traffic Is Bad, Getting Worse

ANDOVER, MA -- While AAA had predicted that Tuesday would be the worst travel day heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday wasn't shaping up to be much better. With some people holding off on departure with Tuesday's wet, sloppy weather, there were already problems on Massachusetts roadways Wednesday morning.

The biggest problem was north of Boston, on Interstate 495 northbound in Lawrence where a tractor trailer jackknifed near Exit 45. The crash took several hours to clear and residual delays remained even after all lanes were opened. Earlier, a car far near Roosevelt Circle was causing delays on both sides of Interstate 93 in Medford. But all of the state's roadways were seeing heavier-than-normal volume that was expected to increase throughout the day.

AAA expects 54.3 million people to travel this Thanksgiving, up 4.8 percent from a year ago and more than any year since 2005, even with national gas prices 31 cents per gallon higher this year. The culprit? Higher wages.

>>>Read also: Most Grocery Stores Closed On Thanksgiving

"Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth," said Bill Sutherland, AAA Travel senior vice president. "This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry."

Fortunately, Patch has you covered. We'll update this story with the latest traffic news from now until you are safely tucked in wherever it is you are heading.

Live Traffic Map, Travel Alerts and Updates

The map below shows real-time traffic condition courtesy of Waze. You can use the search box at the bottom of the map to customize it to your travel plans. We'll also update this section with news of major backups as we hear about them:

Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan your trip:

• MassDOT will extend the hours of its High Occupancy Vehicle (H.O.V.) lanes heading into the holiday weekend. The outbound HOV lane between Boston and Quincy on Interstate 93 South will be open between 2 and 8 pm on Tuesday and from 1 to 8 pm on Wednesday. The lane will be closed Thursday and Friday and return to normal hours next Monday.
• The Sumner Tunnel Swing Lane is opening at 1 pm Tuesday and will stay open until 5 am on Monday.
• MassDOT is offering free coffee at its 18 service plazas from 10 p.m. Thursday, November 22, through 5 a.m., Friday, November 23. The plazas serving free coffee include 11 service plazas along I-90, as well as plazas along Route 3 in Plymouth, Route 128 in Beverly, Route 128/I-95 in Newton and Lexington, Route 6 in Barnstable, and the Route 24 northbound and southbound plazas.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Think you're smart because you booked a flight to avoid the highways? You might be in for even bigger crowds. AAA predicts that 5.4 percent, or 4.3 million people will fly this year when compared to 2017. By comparison, car travel is going up "only" 5 percent, with 48.5 million more people taking to the roads.

Here are some resources for air travelers coming to and leaving from Boston's Logan International Airport:

• Monitor www.massport.com for updated airline and airport information and Transportation Security Administration carry-on luggage regulations, The Massport website allows travelers to check flight status, parking conditions and public transportation options from their smartphone or tablet. Massport also encourages travelers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport for the most updated flight status and travel information
• The MBTA is offering additional Silver Line Service through Wednesday and again on Friday to accommodate travelers to and from Logan airport. See www.mbta.com for schedule information.

The MBTA will primarily operate on a Sunday schedule on Thursday, the holiday, and run a normal, weekday service the remainder of the week. But note the following if public transportation is part of your holiday travel plan:

• Uber and MADD are offering free rides to residents of 58 Massachusetts communities between 9 pm Wednesday and 6 am Thursday.
• The MBTA will be adding cars to certain commuter rail trains leaving Boston on Wednesday. The commuter rail will operate on a weekday schedule on Wednesday and Friday and on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving.
• The MBTA will operate regular, weekday service on buses and subways on Wednesday and Friday and a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving.
• The RIDE will offer regular service, excluding subscription trips, on Thursday.
• The MBTA will not operate ferry service on Thanksgiving.

More Traffic Alerts

Best Times To Leave

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving was traditionally the "worst travel day of the year," but more recently that has been surpassed by the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. And this year is no exception, although a Wednesday departure won't be much better, according to AAA.

If you can, AAA recommends holding off until Thursday morning to hit the road. And for your return trip, plan to come home on Friday or Saturday, because traffic will be at its heaviest on Sunday.

Similarly, Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week are always more crowded at airports than Thursday. An added bonus is that average ticket costs are significantly lower when you depart on Thursday.

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).