BOSTON (WHDH) - Roads were already busy Friday morning as many people began holiday travels ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, this year.
Americans are expected to set a record for travel this weekend, and some 1.2 million Massachusetts residents will hit the roads.
Friday is expected to be the worst travel day, with the stretch from Boston down I-93 and Route 3 to Hyannis being the most congested route.
Traffic is expected to hit its peak around 11 a.m., when AAA estimates traffic will be 63% higher than usual. The delays, estimates suggest, will translate to a trip time around 2 hours and 24 minutes.
For those looking to beat the rush, AAA now suggests travelers hit the road after 6 p.m.
In the Boston area, the HOV lane on I-93 between Boston and Quincy will be open starting at 1 p.m.
The Sumner Tunnel, meanwhile, will be open this weekend before its planned nearly two-month closure begins on Wednesday of next week.
At Logan Airport, there were few delays on Thursday even as many made their way toward flights out of Boston.
Travelers were again heading to the airport on Friday as transportation officials say they expect high numbers of travelers all weekend long.
“Yesterday was one of our strongest days and leading up to the holiday, it will stay that way,” said Massport Director of Aviation Ed Freni on Thursday morning. “We’ve seen numbers like this since April vacation and we’ve seen these numbers during Memorial Day weekend. But it’s going to be consistent now that the summer’s started.”
Freni continued, saying officials expect to see roughly 140,000 passengers each day traveling in and out of Logan Airport.
Airport officials this week also reminded travelers to allow extra time to drop off luggage and go through security during busy times like the Fourth of July weekend.
Stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest travel updates.
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