Traffic is backed up beyond Exit 5 going off Cape Monday afternoon around 1:30.Cape Cod Times/Ron Schloerb
The annual Memorial Day exodus from the Cape began early this year – possibly because of cloudy, rainy skies and cool temperatures – with eyewitness reports of traffic heading off Cape backed up for many miles by late morning.
By 11 a.m., traffic on Route 6 westbound was backed up for 3 miles, said Massachusetts State Police Trooper Dustin Fitch. Traffic was moving about 20 mph at that time, Fitch said.
Some took to Twitter to comment on the traffic woes and post photos of the lines of cars on Route 6.
“Backed up to Exit 5,” wrote @C_Dinunno around noon.
“At least I still have ice in my coffee,” @missaimeealice tweeted around noon, following the message with the tag #capetraffic.
By 5 p.m., traffic on Route 6 seemed to have eased just a little bit. Cars moved at a crawl westbound on the Mid-Cape Highway from Exit 4 to the Sagamore Bridge, but traffic was moving freely again near Exits 5 and 6.
“Pretty standard,” tweeted @Denisisland1 along with an Instagram photo of lines of cars backed up across the Sagamore Bridge around 6 p.m.
Anticipating heavy traffic, many travelers chose to leave in the evening rather than the afternoon.
“I like to leave around 3, but my friend called me and said, 'Don't do that; wait until 6 or 7.' That's why I'm leaving now,” said Marcus Vieira, 39. Vieira, his fiancee and his daughter stopped at the Exit 6 rest area around 6 p.m. to get food before continuing home to New York City.
Chris Peris, 35, of Shrewsbury and Ryan Iasiello, 21, of Westboro had spent the weekend on Nantucket and were heading home around 6 p.m. Monday when they stopped at the Exit 6 rest stop to change clothes that had gotten wet on the ferry. Peris and Iasiello had planned to head off-Cape in the late evening to avoid traffic but changed their plans because they were tired.
“We'll roll the dice and see how it goes,” said Peris as cars on Route 6 zoomed past.
By 8 p.m., traffic was moving more quickly near Chase Road, but traffic was still crawling toward the bridge.
“Being stuck on the Sagamore Bridge stinks,” @c_lo_is tweeted around 8 p.m.
Though traffic was also backed up on Route 6A from the bridge to East Sandwich most of the day and evening, Sandwich police and fire officials reported no accidents or problems.
Meanwhile, traffic on the Bourne Bridge was light throughout the day and into the evening.
“Sagamore Bridge is jammed up and I laugh at all who are stuck on it,” wrote @chelsieisms around 8:30. “The Bourne Bridge has free flowing traffic. See ya latah, Cape Cod.”
Follow Amy Anthony on Twitter: @AmyAnthonyCCT.
No comments:
Post a Comment