It's that time of year again! If you have lived in Salem or at 24 Norman Street for more than a year, you already know how crazy things like traffic, crowds and parking can get from now until November. To help you plan, here are the City of Salem's announced road closures and detours planned for events in October.
All information below is subject to change. The Salem Police Department will close any street at any time if they determine that a public safety issue exists.
· October 2: Haunted Happenings Parade starts at 6:00 p.m. at Shetland Office Park on Congress Street. Residents should anticipate traffic delays on Route 114 and Route 1A. Route 1A from Derby Street to Brown Street will be closed to traffic from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Other road closures are Congress Street, Washington Street, Essex Street from Washington Street to Union Street, Central Street, Front Street, and Washington Square West, North, and South. There will be no parking tow zones along the entire parade route. Log onto www.salem.com for more detailed information.
· October 4 and 5: Haunted Happenings BizBaz. There will be no parking at the meters along the portion of Essex Street between Hawthorne Boulevard and New Liberty Street beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday October 4 through Sunday October 5 at 9:00 p.m. This section of Essex Street will also be closed to through traffic from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
· October 18: Salem YMCA Witch City 5K road race starts at 9:00 a.m. at the Salem Willows. No road closures are planned, however residents should anticipate traffic delays along the following roadways: Memorial Drive, Essex Street, Route 1A, Route 114 including Hawthorne Boulevard, Derby Street, and Fort Avenue, ending at Restaurant Row.
· October 19: Witch Ride Motorcycle Ride. Route 114 and Route 1A will be impacted, but not closed to traffic, from Marblehead to New Derby Street. Route 1A, including Derby Street, will be closed to traffic between Lafayette Street and Congress Street. Congress Street will also be closed to traffic. Residents should anticipate road closures and traffic delays from noon to 3:00 p.m. There will be a no parking tow zone on Derby Street between Lafayette and Congress Street from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
· October 25: Devil’s Chase road race starts at 8:00 a.m. at the Salem Willows soccer field on Fort Avenue. No road closures are planned, however residents should traffic delays until 10:30 a.m. on the following roadways: Fort Avenue, Derby Street, Szetela Lane, Webb Street, Andrews Street, Washington Square, Essex Street, Charter Street, Central Street, Derby Street, Winter Island Road, Columbus Avenue, Restaurant Row, and Memorial Drive. Several no parking tow zones will be posted on Memorial Drive, Victory Road, and Larkin Lane.
· October 31: Halloween events will include multiple road closures and heavy traffic delays throughout Salem for the entire day and night. Residents should expect major traffic delays on Route 114 and Route 1A. Downtown streets will close to all traffic no later than 4:00 p.m. These road closures include: Essex Street at Crombie Street and Barton Square to Union Street, Washington Street from New Derby Street to Bridge Street, Federal Street from St. Peter’s Street to North Street, Washington Square North and West from Essex Street to Brown Street, Hawthorne Boulevard, Derby Street, Route 1A, Congress Street near Pickering Wharf, Charter Street, Central Street, Front Street, and Lafayette Street from New Derby Street to Front Street. Bridge Street at the Bypass Road will also close to all traffic between the westerly overpass ramps the Bypass Road from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for the closing fireworks.
For additional information, please contact the Traffic Division of the Salem Police Department at 978-744-0171 ext. 115 or online at www.salempd.net or www.salem.com. Travel and parking information for Salem’s October Haunted Happenings festival is online at www.hauntedhappenings.org, with detailed parking information at www.parkinginsalem.com. Follow street closure and traffic alerts for October in Salem on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GetThruOctober (@getthruoctober).
