Ashley Shook and Kiara Smith
5 days ago
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Memorial Day weekend is almost here and a lot more people are expected to be on the road this year, according to AAA.
While backups can happen anywhere due to accidents or bad weather, 22News is working for you with this interactive map of places in western Massachusetts and around New England that either typically see delays, or are undergoing road construction projects that could slow you down.
Click on any of the pinpoints on the map for a description of the location, and the type of traffic travelers may encounter.
“We expect to see a good uptick in the number of folks choosing to travel this year for memorial day weekend nationally as well as here in Massachusetts,” Mark Schieldrop, AAA Spokesperson told 22News.
If you plan to travel by car you should make sure you plan ahead. AAA Spokesperson Mark Schieldrop says people should expect busy roads, traffic, long lines, and waits. It may be hard to get around the traffic but it comes down to the day and time you plan your trip.
“The worst time to leave would be on Friday afternoon from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. That’s really when you’re going to see the most traffic volumes when we got vacationers mixing with people commuting.” Schieldrop adds that there will be 89 percent more traffic volume if you choose to return on Monday between 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. as well as Tuesday.
The Mass. Pike and I-95 will also be backed up and taking the scenic routes may have less traffic.
Michael from West Springfield is going to Tennessee for a softball tournament and planning his trip in advance allowed him to find a good deal when buying his plane ticket. “I paid $300 for this trip and it’s only for three days. The return trip, if it was a one-way trip, was going to be about $300 dollars more, so I did a round trip and booked it months in advance.”
If you plan to travel to places like the Cape, Schieldrop says Routes 3 and 6 will be busy on Friday and Monday. He recommends people look at maps to see real-time traffic. To follow local traffic in real-time, view the 22News live traffic map.