MA Residents: Be Careful When Driving Our State Highways

Sometimes I feel like driving can be a real task at hand as my days growing up in the ol' hometown of New York City were free of this obligation where I would either walk, take the bus or subway towards my intended destination. Moving up north, a car proves to be a necessity, but you have to realize that some other drivers you encounter are just plain CRAZY with a capital C.

Which leads me to the next phase of this article: here in Massachusetts we have some of the WORST and dangerous highways which requires travelling must be taken with kid gloves. Here is the breakdown on what you can expect:

Let's start with a familiar route for Berkshire residents: Interstate 90 (aka The Massachusetts Turnpike which begins at the Bay State-New York border and continues locally through West Stockbridge, Lee, Becket and Otis. Blandford is the starting point for Hampden County. Congestion is year round due to travel between the Empire State to Boston, especially those using the highway for arrival at Logan Airport. Keep in mind, there is a plentiful amount of construction at all times, as you must exercise caution at those particular sites. A plus: It's a great route to view fall foliage in our area.

Interstate 93 is a notorious highway that runs through downtown Boston and takes you to The Granite State of New Hampshire. It contains some of the WORST traffic jams in New England as drivers really must be aware and cautious. Plus, the road is known for a series of water build-up after heavy rains as hydroplaning can cause massive problems. The trouble spot is when 93 connects with Interstate 495. Police have tallied a bevy of mishaps in that stretch of road.

Speaking of Interstate 495, it is a mess on days when The New England Patriots play their home games as the highway takes you to Foxborough. Plus travelers heading up to New Hampshire use this stretch of highway to head north to more tranquil settings. The key spot to be extra careful is the intersection where 495 meets up with The Mass Pike which has also been deemed a trouble spot by State Police.

Interstate 95: Another stretch of road you should avoid during football season as this road is the link towards Cape Cod which is heavily congested at all times during the year. I'll tell you one thing about 95: If you travel south in Connecticut's shoreline, there is Excedrin headache #10 ready and waiting, especially when you are heading south to my ol' haunts. You are better off taking The Metro North railroad where you can avoid the aggravation.

BOTTOM LINE: DRIVE CAREFULLY! Anticipate what others are doing when behind the wheel and with some extra patience, you will get to your final destination. I miss the days when being a pedestrian was much easier and tolerable.