If predictions from experts are any indication, this year’s Thanksgiving traffic will be worse than last year’s. AAA is anticipating that more people will travel for the holiday next week than any year since 2005, citing the booming economy, with the vast majority of those travelers going by car.
That doesn’t spell good news for drivers, but with some advance planning, you may be able to avoid the worst of the traffic.
And if you’re flying? Travel writer Christopher Muther has you covered with tips for staying sane.
When to avoid driving around Boston
According to Google, the best time to travel for Thanksgiving was Wednesday morning at 3 a.m. But if, like most people, you were not interested in hitting the road in the early morning hours, here’s what to expect during daylight.
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As of about 1 p.m. Wednesday, traffic was getting heavy around Massachusetts, particularly westbound on I-90 near Auburn and I-93 in both outbound directions. Traffic was heavy to the north of Boston through about Medford, and to the south, traffic was heavy through the Braintree split. Forecasters are warning drivers to be wary of snow squalls across southern New England late this afternoon and evening.
To avoid the worst of the traffic, Google predicts drivers should stay off the roads Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. Google’s data was compiled by Google Maps and Google News Lab and is based on the location and speed of Android phones that have location services enabled, according to the company.
In an effort to ease traffic on I-93, the southbound HOV lane will open early Wednesday, at 3 p.m., MassDOT said.
What about on Thanksgiving itself? You should be mostly in the clear around Boston, according to Google, with the exception of around midday, when the search giant predicts there will be a slight spike over normal traffic conditions.
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Where to avoid driving
Anyone who regularly commutes on I-93 can tell you where the traffic trouble spots are. But things are a bit different for holiday traffic, and AAA predicts that the worst place to drive will actually be miles outside the city, on I-495 south, from exit 41 to exit 33 (roughly from Andover to Chelmsford).
Returning from your trip
If you are also trying to avoid clogged roads after the holiday, don’t drive in Boston on Friday afternoon, according to Google, which predicts 3 p.m. to be the absolute worst time to return from your trip. Saturday is more or less expected to be a normal travel day in the Boston area, but Google expects there to be a higher-than-usual volume of drivers traveling Sunday afternoon.
Christina Prignano can be reached at christina.prignano@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @cprignano.