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Lighthouse Beach in Chatham on Sunday of Labor Day Weekend
SAGAMORE – The traditional Labor Day exodus from Cape Cod got underway early Monday morning, with heavy traffic piling up on Route 6 westbound just before 10 a.m.
A weekend of beautiful weather was a major attraction for tourists who packed the beaches, hotels and restaurants from Friday night through Sunday.
AAA Northeast had been predicting the busiest Labor Day travel numbers since 2008.
They cited lower gasoline prices, higher disposable income and a stronger job market as reasons for the increase.
CCB MEDIA PHOTO:
Visitor Center at Sagamore Bridge
By mid-morning Monday, traffic was slow and heavy on Route 6 heading off Cape, backing up past Route 130. There were heavy pockets all the way back towards Harwich and Orleans.
Delays extended past Route 149 on Route 6 around mid-day and approached Route 132.
The Bourne Bridge remained a better option but still saw delays of about three miles on MacArthur Boulevard Northbound from the Bourne Rotary with about 2 miles of backups on Sandwich Road between the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges.
And while thousands of people were heading home at the end of the Labor Day Weekend, some were actually just beginning their vacation.
Richard McLaren and his wife, Patricia, had just arrived at the Sagamore Bridge visitor center late Monday from North Carolina.
They decided coming to Cape Cod after Labor Day was a good option.
CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Chatham Lighthouse splashed in sun on Labor Day Weekend 2015
“We said we need to get away and we might as well until the crowds are gone, hopefully, and we’re non-traditionalists so I guess that’s it,” he said.
McLaren was thinking of taking a ride down historic Route 6-A and then head into Hyannis to get ferry schedules for the Islands.
Lower gas prices appeared to be driving a lot of people to hit the roads.
“Motorists have not seen gas prices this low around Labor Day since 2005, so New England’s perennially popular destinations can look forward to rounding out the summer travel season on a high note,” said AAA Northeast Senior Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Lloyd Albert.
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