Plan Ahead: Memorial Day Weekend Travel Tips

The Memorial Day holiday weekend is coming up fast.

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. The holiday, once known as Decoration Day, has morphed into a long holiday weekend which marks the unofficial start of summer.

Millions are expected to head to beaches, state parks, family reunions, picnics and activities throughout the region.

AAA predicts that automotive travel this Memorial Day holiday will be up 5.3 percent (33 million travelers) compared to last year’s holiday weekend, which would be the highest volume in ten years. Gas prices may not change all that much by the holiday weekend, which would result in the cheapest Memorial Day gas prices in at least five years.

MassDOT typically encourages travelers to plan ahead and travel safely during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The heaviest traffic is expected Thursday, Friday, and Monday afternoons and early evenings. Drivers are encouraged to make travel plans accordingly and if possible avoid peak traffic volumes between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on those days.

Traffic in Massachusetts is especially heavy at the I-84 interchange at Exit 9 in Sturbridge on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and at Exit 11A, I-495, which handles cars headed south to Cape Cod and north to New Hampshire and Maine. Travelers to the Cape this year have access to real time roadside traffic information through the newly launched GO Time system. To plan ahead, traffic information is available for download using the free RideWise Smartphone App that provides live traffic conditions.

MassDOT Traveler Resources:

• Real-Time Traffic Conditions
• Live Traffic Cameras
• Traffic Maps
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Travel Service Plazas & Tourist Information Centers
• Printable Toll Schedules for I-90

MassDOT reently announced that CapeFLYER trains will again be running from Boston to Cape Cod starting on Memorial Day weekend. Service will begin on Friday, May 22, and operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, including service on Memorial Day and Labor Day Mondays.