Massachusetts

Ride Along: Commuting Into the Teeth of Comm. Ave. Construction

Steve and Tam Ball live in Quincy and work on the part of Commonwealth Avenue that is shut down during the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge reconstruction project, and NBC Boston's Rob Michaelson rode along with them to document their commute.

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7:26 AM:

The Balls have left their home in Quincy and are hitting the road -- and there were chickens along the road.

7:43 AM:

We've hit some traffic on I-93 northbound heading into the city, but it's not too bad. Did people actually listen when officials warned them to stay off the roads?

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7:51 AM:

We've hit the Mass. Pike, but things are starting to slow down.

7:57 AM:

We've hit the Mass. Pike tunnel -- and have no idea when we'll get out of it.

8:01 AM:

We're out of the tunnel and near Fenway Park. Not that bad!

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8:04 AM:

We've just crossed the under the bridge reconstruction project which has forced traffic down to two lanes in both directions. Traffic is still smooth.

8:08 AM:

We've officially passed the normal exit for Boston University and are heading for the detour.

8:12 AM:

We're on Beacon Street heading onto Kenmore Square. Will our traffic luck continue?

8:17 AM:

We're taking a detour for Comm Ave that's in the opposite direction of the Balls' office.

8:24 AM:

We're still in the BU area, and are going around and around on detours.

8:30 AM:

We've arrived! It took just over an hour to get from the Balls home in Quincy to their office that's affected by the detours on Comm. Ave.

So just how would the Balls describe their Monday morning commute?

"Better than normal," Tam said.

Steve agreed, adding, "Other than a few detours that we weren't aware about, we did pretty well."

They still have to walk a few blocks to get to their office building on Comm. Ave. after parking.

The Balls also had some tips for driving in traffic.

"Driving in Boston is not for the faint of heart," Steve said. "You've got to go, if you have the opportunity to move, you gotta move. You gotta pay attention and you've gotta ... keep it flowing."

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