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Boston Traffic Today: Live Road Conditions, Closures and Detours

Evening traffic on Interstate 93 north of Boston, for Boston traffic today
Evening traffic on Interstate 93 north of Boston (file photo). Photo: Robbie Shade, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Live conditions: Mass511 for roads, MBTA alerts for transit

Looking for Boston traffic today? The fastest official sources are linked above: Mass511, run by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), shows live crashes, lane closures, traffic cameras and travel times on state highways including I-93, I-90 (the Mass Pike) and Route 1, and the MBTA’s alerts page lists current delays and shuttle buses. This page adds context from The Boston Report: planned road and transit closures, construction, event detours and the city decisions behind them.

Latest Boston traffic and road news

Highways and tunnels

Most Boston traffic backups start on a handful of corridors: the I-93 Central Artery and its tunnel through downtown, the Mass Pike, Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive along the Charles River, and the Sumner, Callahan and Ted Williams tunnels that connect to East Boston and Logan Airport. State highways and the tunnels are managed by MassDOT, while the city’s Transportation Department handles signals, parking and most city streets. During storms, check the snow emergency status before parking, because tow rules change.

Transit delays and planned shutdowns

When the T has a planned shutdown, roads near the affected line often get busier as riders switch to driving or shuttle buses. Our MBTA closures page lists each scheduled diversion by line and date, and the Boston transportation guide covers fares, bus lanes and getting around. For the season ahead, read our MBTA winter shutdowns guide.

Street changes, cameras and parking

Lane changes and enforcement rules can affect daily traffic as much as crashes do. We cover hearings such as the O’Connor Way bike lane removal hearing in South Boston, the state debate over bike lane camera tickets, and seasonal rules in our street cleaning and snow emergency guide. In winter, see the Boston snow emergency parking ban page for restricted streets and discounted garages.

Events and road closures

Big events close roads with little notice to drivers who are not following city announcements: parades, road races, Red Sox games at Fenway and concerts at TD Garden. Check the Boston events calendar and this weekend’s events before driving into the city, and expect detours on race days such as the Boston Marathon.

Quick tips before you drive

Check Mass511 for crashes and travel times right before you leave, not an hour earlier, because conditions change quickly at rush hour. Call 511 from a phone in Massachusetts for MassDOT’s traveler information line. If a T line you rely on is shut down, the MBTA alerts page lists the replacement shuttle stops. Never use a phone while driving; Massachusetts law bans handheld phone use behind the wheel.

Other official traffic resources

For all city coverage, return to the Boston news hub.

Sources

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