Five Tips to Help Brace Yourself for Bridge Traffic

Sunrise, Cape Cod Canal

The Sagamore Bridge construction project is finally in full swing. With that, travel time (particularly the evening rush) is very long and almost unbearable.  We can’t do anything about the traffic for the next 50-plus days, but here are five suggestions to make your commute a little more tolerable.  Remember too that you should check out the Cape Cod traffic page for a map of the latest conditions.

Remain calm – It’s so tempting to lose our tempers after going no more than a mile in an hour.  We want those cars in front of us to move, so we can get home, or pick up the kids, or hit the grocery store. But the reality of it is, you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.  Try deep breathing. It really does help.

Use the restroom before you hit the road – This means possibly skipping that afternoon cup of coffee or tea, or easing up a bit on the water intake in the hours before you have to drive. There are no rest stops or porta-potties along the last stretch of Route 6 west, so go now – or you’ll be holding it later.

Have snack at hand – There is literally nothing to do while you sit in traffic. Why not snack on something healthy while you sit? It’ll not only give your hands something to do while you wait, it will help stave off the hunger pangs that will ultimately hit somewhere around exit 2.  Trust us.

Listen to music – Of course! There’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy yourself while sitting in traffic hell. We have four great stations that will keep you entertained, and they offer something for just about everyone.  (If you’re really starting to stress out, try WFCC 107.5. You may need a calming dose of classical at this point.)

Bring along plenty of patience – This is most important. No one can make the traffic move any faster. No one is trying to keep you from going where you need to be. If you’re stuck in the midst of it, try to understand that you’re not alone. There are literally thousands of drivers and passengers around you, inching forward, looking at the clock, trying to go from two lanes to one. We’re all in this together.  A little patience will go a long way.