Trucks at the Southampton Street Bottleneck

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December 2020

This study discusses several traffic issues at or near the junction of South Boston Bypass Road (Bypass Road), a critical urban freight corridor, and Interstate 93, the Southeast Expressway. Traffic impacts to trucks or impacts caused by trucks in this roadway complex are highlighted.

The use of Bypass Road is subject to restrictions, and possible modifications to these restrictions were being considered at the time of this study. Flows of vehicles using this facility throughout the day, both authorized and unauthorized, were counted and analyzed. This analysis was critical in identifying existing or potential impacts of Bypass Road traffic on the queues that form on weekday afternoons at the Southampton Street entrance to the Southeast expressway.

The vehicle composition and extent of queues at Southampton Street are presented, along with a brief discussion of possible strategies to manage or reduce queue length. The study includes recommendations for regulating use of Bypass Road.

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