* Scheduled road work shutting down Friday at 12 p.m.

* Free coffee at 18 MassDOT service plazas during overnight hours

* HOV lane opening early Thursday and Friday

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reminds residents to plan ahead for the upcoming Columbus Day holiday weekend, utilize the appropriate technology tools to make informed decisions on route and timing of travel, and consider public transportation, if possible.

"We encourage all members of the public to make informed decisions by visiting www.mass511.com, downloading our GoTime mobile app, going to www.mbta.com to view transit schedules, and considering the best route to take or time to travel,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "We know from previous years there are higher volumes on the roadways during the Columbus Day holiday weekend and we advise everyone traveling to check traffic conditions and plan ahead in order to reach their destinations in an efficient manner."

MassDOT is taking steps to support safe and efficient travel for members of the public, including shutting down scheduled roadway construction activities at 12 p.m. on Friday, which could impact traffic with scheduled work resuming at the start of normal business hours on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

All MBTA services including subway, commuter rail, ferry, and bus service will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Monday, Oct. 9. For information about T schedules, visit www.mbta.com. [Please note that some scheduled work on MBTA lines will continue this weekend, including the installation of federally mandated Positive Train Control equipment on the Needham and Haverhill commuter rail lines and Red Line track work on Boston's Longfellow Bridge.]

Free coffee will be served at the 18 MassDOT service plazas from 10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9, through 5 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. The plazas serving free coffee include 11 service plazas along I-90 plus plazas along Route 3 in Plymouth, Route 128 in Beverly, Route 128/I-95 in Newton and Lexington, Route 6 in Barnstable, and the Route 24 northbound and southbound plazas.

The High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on I-93 between Boston and Quincy will open early for the afternoon commute, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, and 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6. The HOV lane will be closed on Monday, Oct. 9, and will then reopen during regularly scheduled hours on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers reports that there will be no lane restrictions on the Sagamore Bridge or Bourne Bridge during the Columbus Day weekend period.

Customers are also advised that the Registry of Motor Vehicles offices are closed for the designated state holiday of Columbus Day on Monday. Please visit at any hour of the day the RMV online at www.massrmv.com to skip the line and perform many transactions. In addition, AAA members now have the opportunity to conduct many RMV services at numerous AAA branch office locations in Massachusetts during AAA normal business hours.

For traffic and road conditions, drivers may use the following options to make decisions:

• Download MassDOT’s GoTime mobile app and view real-time traffic conditions before setting out on the road.

• Download Waze, the traffic navigation app that provides motorists with real-time traffic conditions across Massachusetts.

• Visit mass511.com to view travel times, road construction, traffic alerts or crashes along a route. Incidents, road closures, lane closures, real-time live traffic cameras, and weather alerts/forecasts, can all be viewed on the interactive live Traffic Map.

• Dial 511 from a landline or cell phone to hear information on current conditions on major roadways.

• Check MassDOT Highway Traffic and Travel Resources.

• Follow MassDOT on Twitter @MassDOT as incidents that impact traffic flow are generally mentioned in tweets if they occur on the state’s major highways.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation wishes all members of the public a safe and enjoyable holiday.