4th of July Holiday Traffic: What to Expect

If you're planning on traveling in the next few days, you're not alone. Whether you're heading to The Cape, or Connecticut, be prepared for some pretty serious traffic.

AAA predicts a record breaking 46.9 million Americans travel at least 50 miles during the Independence Day Holiday, a five percent increase from last year and the highest number the travel organization has seen at any point since 2001.

So what about driving in Massachusetts? Of those 46.9 million travelers, AAA says 1.25 million will come from the Commonwealth, just the second time the state will top the one million mark for the July 4 holiday.

According to AAA, Tuesday, aptly dubbed "Terrible Tuesday", will be the busiest day for traffic. In the Boston area, driving on Tuesday between 3:30-6:30 p.m. will take 1.8 times as long as normal. However, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is trying to help the traffic situation by postponing scheduled roadway construction from early Tuesday until Thursday night.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation advises travelers to plan ahead and make use of travel tools.  Massachusetts drives can keep up to date on traffic information by heading to boston.com/traffic or Mass511.com, or by dialing 511.  To stay current with real time traffic and information, download the apps from Waze, AAA or Go Time, or by tuning your cars radio to WBZ 1030 AM.

If you're feeling drowsy on your road trip, the MassDOT will be offering free coffee at all of it's 18 service plazas from 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 4, through 5 a.m. Thursday, July 5.