Drivers get a head start on their holiday travel in Massachusetts
"Across the country, we expect to set a record with 72.2 million people traveling over the July 4th holiday period," said Mark Shieldrop, a spokesperson for AAA Northeast.
The organization says Wednesday was the busiest day of the week and by the afternoon, Massachusetts travelers were already experiencing congestion on the roads.
"I just came from the North Shore, and it's getting heavy. And going southbound, it was heavy coming from the North Shore down to here," said traveler Bob Lamacchia at the rest stop on I-95 in Newton on Wednesday.
Two days before the actual holiday, traveler Mark Pardes adds, "I was surprised—people have left today. It is busy out there."
In Massachusetts, AAA anticipates more than 2 million trips throughout the week. "That's people leaving, people coming, people passing through," Shieldrop said.
Nicky Yochem and her son Conrad are among the 18.5 million travelers that TSA expects to fly this week.
"We're here visiting my brother from Minnesota," Yochem said. "I think we're going to do some barbecuing and we're going to do some swimming in a friend's pool."
To avoid travel stress, planning ahead is key. "If you give yourself more time, that gives you less pressure so you can just kind of mosey along and enjoy the ride," Shieldrop said.
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