Plan Ahead: Long Fourth of July Weekend Travel Tips

By LINDA BOCK (Patch Staff)

The long Fourth of July holiday is comming up fast, and millions are expected to head to beaches, state parks, family reunions, picnics and of course, fireworks.

The number of Americans who will be traveling 50 miles or more over the five-day holiday weekend to celebrate Independence Day – 41.9 million – is higher than it’s been since 2007, according to the AAA Independence Day travel forecast.

The majority of them – 35.5 million, or almost 85 percent of all Fourth of July travelers – will be driving to their destinations, according to AAA.

The holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, July 1, to Sunday, July 5.

MassDOT encourages safe travel during the upcoming July 4 holiday weekend. Before you drive, check out the state’s live Traffic Cameras web page to view current conditions.

Traffic is especially heavy at the I-84 interchange at Exit 9 in Sturbridge on the day before the holiday and at Exit 11A, I-495, which handles cars headed south to Cape Cod and north to New Hampshire and Maine. To plan ahead, traffic information is available for download using the free RideWise Smartphone App that provides live traffic conditions.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers reports that all travel lanes on the Sagamore Bridge are open until after Labor Day.

Motorists are reminded that all-electronic toll collection is now in place on the Tobin Bridge and are encouraged to join the E-ZPass program: www.Mass.gov/EZPassMA.

Free coffee will be served at the 18 MassDOT service plazas from 10 p.m. Saturday, July 4, through 5 a.m. Sunday morning, July 5. The plazas serving free coffee include 11 service plazas along I-90 plus 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.

If you are visiting the Cape, consider taking the weekend CapeFLYER train. Extra holiday trains will operate Thursday, July 2 on a Friday schedule. Visit www.capeflyer.com for complete schedules and ticket information.

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

The MBTA will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Friday, July 3. On Saturday, July 4, beginning at 2 p.m., subway service on all lines will operate at rush-hour levels to accommodate increased holiday ridership. Fares will be free after 9:30 p.m.