Rush-hour traffic ground to a halt on Interstate 93 Northbound in Wilmington on Monday afternoon after a serious crash forced lane closures at Exit 34, the ramp serving Route 62. MassDOT's initial reporting logged the closures at 3:53 p.m., and heavy congestion was officially confirmed in the area by 4:40 p.m., turning an already busy commute into a slow crawl for drivers heading north out of Boston.
According to Boston 25 News, MassDOT said traffic impacts were expected to continue for several hours, and drivers were urged to seek alternate routes and avoid the area if possible while crews worked the scene. The exact cause remained unclear; a man was struck and killed.
Traffic Disruptions Near Wilmington
Emergency responders were on I-93 Northbound during Monday's incident, and lane closures disrupted traffic.
Exit 34 itself sits at a spot familiar to longtime Massachusetts drivers under a different number. Per Wikipedia's entry on Massachusetts Route 62, the interchange now known as Exit 34 once carried the designation Exit 40, before MassDOT renumbered highway exits statewide using a milepost-based system.
Safety Around Active Crash Scenes
Drivers passing an active crash scene should use caution and watch for emergency vehicles.
A Corridor With a History of Serious Crashes
Monday's incident is not the first serious crash on I-93. A fatal motorcycle crash has also occurred on the highway.
Hoodline covered an eight-vehicle crash on I-93 in Milton in September. For now, Monday's crash in Wilmington remains under investigation, with MassDOT and state troopers working to clear the scene and restore normal flow to one of the region's busiest commuter corridors.
