Press Release  MassDOT Advisory: Thanksgiving Holiday Travel

Boston — HOV will have extended hours on Tuesday, November 22, and Wednesday, November 23

HOV and Sumner Tunnel swing lane will not be deployed on Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25

Thursday: Registry customer service locations and state offices closed

Sumner Tunnel OPEN the weekends of November 18 - 20 and November 25 - 27

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is encouraging members of the public to plan ahead for travel during the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday week, use available technology tools and resources to make informed decisions and plan ahead. During this holiday season, individuals should be aware there may be a higher number of travelers on Commonwealth roadways and on public transportation as post-pandemic travel continues to increase.

The Highway Division is taking several steps to ensure safe and efficient travel on state-owned roadways. There will be no scheduled construction work on major arterial roadways outside of established work zones from 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 22, through 9:00 p.m. on Monday, November 28.

In addition, the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane located on I-93 between Boston and Quincy will extend its afternoon hours by opening from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 22, and from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23. The HOV lane will be closed on Thursday, November 24, and on Friday, November 25.  Also, due to increased travel in and out of Logan Airport, the Sumner Tunnel swing lane will not be deployed on Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25.

MassDOT will not be closing the Sumner Tunnel the weekend before or the weekend after the Thanksgiving Holiday due to anticipated high traffic volume on roadways nearby.  Work will not occur on the weekends of Friday, November 18, through Monday, November 21, and Friday, November 25, through Monday, November 28.

MassDOT strongly urges all drivers to minimize distractions by turning off or putting away cell phones, traveling the posted speed limit, driving sober and devoting full attention to what is ahead on the road. MassDOT encourages travelers to make an extra effort to be courteous on the roads and report to law enforcement any reckless driving.

For information about MBTA schedules on Thursday, November 24, please visit www.mbta.com/holidays.

In an effort to improve services for riders heading to and from the airport for holiday travel plans, additional Silver Line 1 (SL1) service to and from Logan Airport will be added the weekend before (November 19-20) and the weekend after (November 26-27) Thanksgiving, boosting headways to eight minutes between SL1 buses for the majority of the day Saturdays and on Sunday mornings. Additional SL1 service to and from Logan Airport will also be added for the week of Thanksgiving (excluding Thanksgiving Day) with headways improved to every eight to 10 minutes for most of the day on weekdays and to 13 to 15 minutes late at night. Riders are reminded that the Silver Line is free from Logan Airport to Boston destinations.

Additionally, on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, riders should note that no ferry service will operate, all Commuter Rail lines will operate a weekend schedule, and all other modes will operate on a Sunday schedule. The CharlieCard Store is also closed on November 24.

The public is reminded that Thursday, November 24, is a state holiday and all Registry of Motor Vehicle offices and state offices will be closed. Customer service centers will reopen by appointment for permit, license, and ID transactions and same day walk-in services for required in-person registration-related transactions on Friday, November 25. Meanwhile, AAA members may visit any AAA location by appointment for some Registry transactions and more than 40 Registry transactions can be done online at www.Mass.Gov/RMV.

Massport is expecting an increase in passengers at Boston Logan International Airport around the holiday and suggests passengers allow for extra time to get to Logan and through security. Extra staff will be on hand to help passengers and families who may not have traveled in a while. Massport continues to recommend passengers arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international. There is also ongoing construction at the airport and Massport is advising passengers to please drive carefully and follow any detour signs.

For travelers using a Ride App to get to or from Logan, starting today, Wednesday, November 16, the Terminal B pickup and drop-off area has moved to the Terminal B Garage on the Departures Level. The new location is more convenient for passengers flying in and out of Terminal B as it is a shorter walk to and from the terminal. Passengers who request an Accessible Ride App can still be picked up or dropped-off at all the terminal curbs.

Massport is urging passengers to use public transportation, rather than their own personal vehicles, to get to and from Logan, such as the MBTA Blue and Silver Line and Logan Express service from Braintree, Framingham, Woburn, Peabody, and Back Bay. For those taking Logan Express, Massport recommends passengers be dropped off at the sites as parking may be limited.

The Authority has also launched a free smartphone app FlyLogan where passengers can 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 MassDOT’s GoTime mobile app and view real-time traffic conditions before setting out on the road.
• Visit www.mass511.com to view travel times, road construction, traffic alerts or crashes along a route. Incidents, road closures, lane closures, real-time live traffic cameras, and weather alerts/forecasts, can all be viewed on the interactive live Traffic Map.
• Dial 511 from a landline or cell phone to hear information on current conditions on major roadways.
• Register for a Mass511 account to create and personalize routes and alerts to be notified of events on those routes ahead of time.
• Follow MassDOT on Twitter @MassDOT to find out about impacts on traffic flow on major state highways.
• Daily Travel Advisories for Major Holiday Travel Routes during Thanksgiving Week.

MassDOT, Massport, and the MBTA wish all members of the public a safe and enjoyable holiday.

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