Community Corner

Why Has There Been So Much Traffic Around Woburn?

Several readers have been stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, and there are a variety of reasons why.

If you've been attempting to drive around Woburn the last two days, it's likely taken you a lot longer than usual. But why?

Several Patch readers have asked about the traffic back up, particularly on Route 128, so we checked in with the Woburn Police Department to see if there was a reason for it.

According to police, the traffic has been caused by a combination of several things.

The last two nights in particular, traffic has become heavy on Route 128 and I-93 earlier than usual. And in the case of I-93, traffic has also lasted until about 8:15 p.m., much later than normal nights.

As a result, cars attempt to navigate around the traffic by getting off at exits to utilize the side roads. This has increased the volume of cars around the city, causing further traffic back up.

When there is more traffic in the city, another problem arises. Police said that drivers are blocking intersections as they attempt to beat traffic lights, causing even more of a traffic issue.

According to police, roads narrowed by snow banks and cars with dirty windshields from the winter conditions don't help the case either.

If you're planning on heading out Friday, be prepared. Police said they expect more traffic congestion on Friday as drivers get out of work for the weekend, and many for the holiday season.

Do you have a question you'd like us to look into? Email matthew.schooley@patch.com and we'll see what we can find out.


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