The Boston Marathon returns to city streets Monday, and if you’re thinking of driving anywhere that day, you might want to rethink your plans.
Close to 30,000 runners are slated to participate this year and the Boston Athletic Association estimates the number of spectators will top 500,000, despite restrictions on what they can carry with them. Add to that the city’s annual Patriots’ Day parade and you’ve go yourself a recipe for a traffic nightmare.
To accommodate the Marathon Monday festivities, Boston has announced dozens of street closures and parking bans:
The following streets in the Boston Common area will close at 5 a.m.:
– Boylston Street from Tremont to Arlington streets
– Charles Street from Park Plaza to Beacon Street
Boylston Street from Hereford Street to Arlington Street closes at 6 a.m. Cross streets will remain open until 8 a.m.
The following streets in the Back Bay area will close at 8 a.m.:
– Berkeley Street, St. James Avenue to Newbury Street
– Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue to Newbury Street
– Dartmouth Street, St. James Avenue to Newbury Street
– Exeter Street, Newbury Street to Huntington Avenue
– Ring Road, Huntington Avenue to Boylston Street
– Fairfield Street, Newbury to Boylston streets
– Gloucester Street, Newbury to Boylston streets
– Providence Street, Arlington to Berkeley streets
– Trinity Place, St. James Avenue to Massachusetts Turnpike on-ramp
– Boylston Street, Massachusetts Avenue to Arlington Street
– Newbury Street, Arlington Street to Charlesgate East
– St. James Avenue, Arlington to Dartmouth streets
– Huntington Avenue (outbound), Dartmouth to Belvidere streets
– Stuart Street, Arlington to Dartmouth streets
– Blagden Street, Huntington Avenue to Exeter Street
– Berkeley Street, Columbus Avenue to Newbury Street
– Clarendon Street, Commonwealth to Columbus avenues
– Dartmouth Street, Commonwealth to Columbus avenues
– Exeter Street, Commonwealth to Huntington avenues
– Fairfield Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
– Gloucester Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
– Hereford Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
– Dalton Street, Belvidere to Boylston streets
– Belvidere Street, Huntington Avenue to Dalton Street
The following streets in the Kenmore Square area will close at 8 a.m.:
– Beacon Street, Park Drive to Commonwealth Avenue
– Brookline Avenue, Lansdowne Street to Commonwealth Avenue
– Newbury Street Extension, Brookline Avenue to Charlesgate West
– Commonwealth Avenue (inbound), from BU Bridge to Gloucester Street
– Commonwealth Avenue (outbound), Hereford to Deerfield streets
– Kenmore Street, Newbury Street Extension to Commonwealth Avenue (outbound)
– Raleigh Street, Beacon Street Extension to Commonwealth Avenue (outbound)
The following streets in the Brighton area will close at 8:30 a.m.:
– Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street to Gloucester Street, and from the Newton City Line (Lake Street) to Chestnut Hill Avenue
– Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill Avenue to the Brookline town line (Cleveland Circle)
– Chestnut Hill Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue to Brookline town line (Ayr Road)
Expect road closures along the Boston Marathon route in the following towns during the listed times. The BAA says times are approximate.
– Hopkinton from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
– Ashland from 7:15 a.m. to 1:45 a.m.
– Framingham from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
– Natick from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
– Wellesley from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
– Newton from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
– Brookline from 9:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
The Patriots’ Day Parade starts at 9:15 a.m. at City Hall Plaza. Participants will march from:
– Cambridge to Tremont streets
– Left to Bromfield Street
– Left to Washington Street, right to State Street
– Left to Congress Street (east side of roadway)
– Right to Hanover Street
– Ending at the Paul Revere Mall
– Streets along the route will be closed to traffic briefly as the parade proceeds.
