As every AIC commuter well knows, it’s truly a traffic nightmare out there.

Just as students began to come back for the start of the spring semester, the section of Interstate 91 in downtown Springfield is experiencing constant delays due to closed lanes and traffic.

The state has decided to repair two miles of the elevated highway that was built in the 1960s, and opened 46 years ago in 1970, According to MassLive.com. On Friday, January 15th, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation — MassDOT for short — closed lanes on I-91 North and South in 10-minute intervals from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. One lane remained open, but traffic was still affected.

The highway has been trimmed down from three lanes to two due to construction. Even more traffic built up from January 17th through the 21st, when two lanes became one from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night during that time frame.

MassDOT is shutting down the left lane to install barriers on I-91 North. Delays are expected, but no detours will be necessary.

Morning commuters to campus have definitely been affected by all these issues.

AIC Junior Amber Girouard described the problems she has run into while driving.

“For the first few days of commuting, the traffic has been a nightmare,” Girouard said. “It can get annoying, especially if I am running late for a class. Sometimes, it’s better for me to leave a little earlier in the morning, and get to school early, in order to avoid traffic problems. The biggest issues are between exits eight and nine on 91. Not only are there issues on the highway, but it takes close to an extra ten minutes after getting off the highway to maneuver through State Street up to the college.”

Construction for MGM Springfield has also had a large impact on traffic throughout downtown Springfield. This is a much more long-term problem, as the casino is expected to open toward the end of 2018.

According to MassLive.com, Bliss and Howard Streets in Springfield will no longer exist, due to the agreement with MGM for the future casino. Areas that pass through East Columbus Avenue to Main Street will also be eliminated, and cause changes in traffic patterns.

For now, it will be a bit of a pain to have to move through these zones downtown, but there are some positive measures coming with these issues. An additional crosswalk and pedestrian flasher will be installed, as well as a street below the I-91 overpass with upgraded traffic signals. Even though it seems like a large inconvenience right now, there will be some decent outcomes with the construction.

AIC Junior Emily Cormier described how lucky she got while avoiding the horrific traffic coming back to AIC for classes.

“My friend and I left my house in Maine last Tuesday around noon, and managed to get to AIC in the afternoon. For whatever reason, we somehow avoided all the traffic, and got through downtown Springfield without any issues,” Cormier said.

To anyone commuting to AIC, or just driving around the downtown Springfield area, keep in mind that you may be dealing with some potential stops. It might help to leave a few minutes earlier than you were intending.

If at all possible, try to check any local news traffic reports before heading out. It may help you avoid traffic nightmares!

Visit http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/i91viaductrehab/Home.aspx for all the latest on the construction.