The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), MBTA, and Massport are advising Labor Day Holiday travelers to make informed decisions and plan ahead as Labor Day Weekend is traditionally a popular time for travel, and everyone should consider taking trips at off-peak hours and considering using public transportation, if possible, to reach destinations.
“With Labor Day weekend approaching, we urge all travelers to make use of MassDOT travel resources and expect increased travel times on the roadways,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “We’re expecting to see higher traffic counts across the state, so drivers should plan ahead and make safe choices while out on the roads this holiday weekend.”
As Labor Day Weekend traditionally sees more vehicles than normal using roadways, MassDOT is taking several steps to ensure reliable travel, including:
- Shutting down scheduled, non-emergency construction outside of fixed work zones for the Labor Day travel period effective at 5:00 a.m., Friday, August 30. Scheduled road work will then resume at the start of normal business hours on Tuesday, September 3.
- Deploying the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on I-93 between Boston and Quincy earlier than usual in the afternoons – opening at 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, August 29, and opening at 1:00 p.m., on Friday, August 30. The HOV lane will have normal morning hours Thursday and Friday and will be closed in the morning and afternoon on Monday, September 2.
- The additional “swing lane” on Route 1A southbound at the Sumner Tunnel will not be deployed on Monday, September 2, and will resume normal deployment on Tuesday, September 3.
- The Sumner Tunnel will be open for the duration of the holiday weekend. Weekend closures will resume later in September.
The public is reminded that due to Monday, September 2, being a state holiday, Commonwealth of Massachusetts offices are closed, including Registry of Motor Vehicle Customer Service Centers. Meanwhile, AAA members may visit any AAA location by appointment for many in-person Registry transactions and more than 40 Registry transactions can be done online: www.mass.gov/RMV.
MassDOT reminds travelers to drive hands-free and to obey speed limits. As of August 29, the MassDOT crash data portal IMPACT had recorded a total of 77,698 crashes in Massachusetts for 2024. IMPACT reports 205 crash fatalities for 2024, and 994 crashes have involved pedestrians. Information can be found online: https://apps.impact.dot.state.ma.us/cdp/home
Due to the holiday weekend, the MBTA has released the following information regarding travel on Monday, September 2 with more information available at www.mbta.com/holidays:
- All subway lines, bus routes, and the RIDE will operate on a Sunday schedule.
- The Commuter Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.
- The Hingham – Hull – Logan Airport – Long Wharf (F2H) ferry will operate on a Sunday schedule. There will be no direct Hingham – Rowes Wharf (F1) ferry service.
- The Charlestown Ferry and the East Boston Ferry will operate on a weekend schedule.
- The Lynn Ferry will operate on a weekend schedule.
- There will be no Winthrop/Quincy ferry service.
- The CharlieCard Store will be closed.
Massport is expecting increased passengers at Boston Logan International Airport around the holiday weekend and suggests travelers allow for extra time to get to Logan and through security. Extra staff will be on hand to help passengers and families who may need assistance. Massport continues to recommend that those traveling arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international. As always, Massport recommends passengers to take public transit to Logan Airport.
Massport encourages passengers to download the FlyLogan app to access information about the airport, flight status, purchase Logan Express tickets, and order concessions for pickup or delivery within Logan, among other services. For more information about Logan Airport, please visit www.massport.com/logan-airport/.
For traffic and road conditions, drivers may use the following options to make decisions:
- Download the Mass511 mobile app or visit www.mass511.com to view live cameras, travel times, real-time traffic conditions, and project information before setting out on the road. Users can subscribe to receive text and email alerts for traffic conditions.
- Dial 511 and select a route to hear real-time conditions.
- Follow @MassDOT on X, (formerly known as Twitter), to receive regular updates on road and traffic conditions.
MassDOT, the MBTA and Massport wish all members of the public a safe holiday weekend.