Planning holiday travel? Mass. officials reveal worst days to drive

Holiday travel around Christmas is not expected to feature one day with a “sharp peak” of travelers, but Massachusetts transportation officials say they’re expecting increases on the weekends both ahead of and after the holiday.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year is the “best possible scenario for everybody” because it allows more flexibility for travelers. Traffic is likely to tick up Thursday and Friday, but officials are expecting less congestion on the roads overall.

“For the most part, you can expect travel to be pretty, pretty light over the next 10 days. We expect congestion to be generally lower than on a typical weekday during this time,” he told reporters at a Thursday morning press conference.

There may be some delays on major interstates across the state on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Dec. 26, particularly around large shopping areas. In anticipation of holiday congestion, Gulliver said all construction work on major roadways will pause between Dec. 24 and 26, then again between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2.

As far as winter weather, Gulliver said MassDOT is well prepared, with 3,000 pieces of equipment at the ready for whatever storms may barrel into the state. But he said the forecast looks relatively clear for the next 10 days or so.

“There may be some areas where there’s some icing and such, but for the most part, it’s going to be a pretty easy next few weeks,” he said.

Massachusetts Port Authority CEO Rich Davey said Boston Logan Airport is expected to be plenty busy over the holidays amid a record-breaking travel year. As a result, fliers should give themselves more time to clear security to ensure they make their flights, he said. And for those traveling with gifts, free gift-wrapping services will be available in several terminals.

He encouraged travelers to take the MBTA or Logan Express bus service to get to the airport.

Ryan Coholan, the COO of the MBTA, said the transit system will operate on a Sunday schedule on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with increased service starting at 3 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to accommodate people coming into the city to celebrate. The entire transit system will be free to ride from 8 p.m. until service ends on New Year’s Eve, he said.

For those who do decide to drive, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoff Noble said there will be more troopers on the road — both in marked and unmarked cars — to assist disabled drivers and to respond to “dangerous behaviors.”

“The safety of our roads begins with you. By planning ahead and making conscious decisions to drive safely, you will undoubtedly save lives,” he said. “Every good holiday travel plan includes extra time so you don’t have to speed to get to where you want to go.”