Salem Halloween Road Closures Set To Deter Driving Downtown In October

SALEM, MA — Downtown Salem is open and welcoming to all with no municipal COVID-19 mask or vaccination restrictions this Halloween season for the first time in three years.

Just do not plan on driving to get there.

That has been the message from city leaders and officials leading up to the start of October — which was reinforced with the announced series of road closures during weekends and special events throughout the month on Tuesday.

Beyond the set closures, Salem police will monitor foot traffic throughout the month to determine if and when additional roads and streets may be shut down to vehicles.

Salem will once again offer free shuttles from three satellite lots across the city — a program that has been expanded to include every weekend in October this year. Visitors are also encouraged to take the Salem Ferry or the commuter rail from North Station in Boston or the downtown Beverly station, which is a five-minute ride away and offers ample parking.

The city has also recently nearly doubled its lot of Bluebikes bike-rental stations with rentals free to Salem residents for 30 days.

The return of the Haunted Happenings Parade for the first time in three years starts at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Shetland Office Park on Congress Street. The parade route starts on Congress Street at Shetland Park. The parade will take a left onto Derby Street, a right onto Central Street, a left onto Front Street, a right onto Washington Street, a right onto the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, a left onto Washington Square, and into the Salem Common.

Roads along the parade route will be closed to traffic. Travelers that day are advised to anticipate traffic delays on Route 114 and Route 1A, with Route 1A from Derby Street to Brown Street, closed from 6 to 9 p.m. Other road closures will be 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.

A parking ban will be in effect on Oct. 6 on the following streets between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. with any vehicle parked in these areas ticketed and towed.

• Congress Street both sides from Derby Street to Harbor Street.
• Essex Street from Washington Street to Hawthorne Boulevard.
• Central Street both sides from Charter Street to Derby Street.
• Derby Street both sides from Congress Street to Lafayette Street.
• Front Street both sides from Washington Street to Lafayette Street.
• Washington Square both sides from Essex Street to Brown Street.
• Parking meter spaces at the intersection of Charter Street, Front Street, and Central Street.
• Washington Street between Essex Street and Front Street, metered spaces.

The following roads will be closed on Oct. 6 from 6 p.m. until approximately 9:30 p.m.

• Congress Street will be closed from Harbor Street to Derby Street.
• Derby Street will be closed from Congress Street to Central Street.
• Commuters will not be able to use Route 1A between Dodge St. and Brown Street, which includes Derby Street, Hawthorne Boulevard and Washington Square at the Common entrance.
• Front Street and Washington Street between New Derby Street and Church Street.
• Essex Street will be closed at Washington Street.

Garage Access

• Vehicles parked in the South Harbor Garage will not be able to exit until approximately 9 p.m.
• The Museum Place Garage entrance will only be accessible from Church Street or St. Peter Street. Vehicles exiting the Museum Place Garage will only be able to take a left onto Brown Street and a right onto St. Peter Street.

Each weekend in October, Essex Street from Hawthorne Boulevard to New Liberty Street and Essex Street from Barton Square to Washington Street will be closed to through traffic, and no on-street parking allowed from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The Museum Place Garage will be available via Brown Street only.

There will also be "No Parking" postings on portions of Washington Square North and South during the weekends in October, reserved for authorized event vehicles.

Essex Street from Hawthorne Boulevard to New Liberty Street and Essex Street from Barton Sq.uareto Washington Street will be closed to through traffic and on-street parking all weekends in October.

Parking on portions of Washington Square North and South will be restricted to authorized event vehicles only.

Witch City 5K on Oct. 15

Salem YMCA Witch City 5K road race starts at 9 a.m. at the Salem Willows. No road closures are planned, however, anticipate traffic impacts along the following roadways: Memorial Drive, Essex Street, Route 1A, Route 114 including Hawthorne Boulevard, Derby Street, and Fort Avenue, ending at Restaurant Row.

Devil's Chase on Oct. 22

The Devil’s Chase road race starts at 8 a.m. at the Salem Willows soccer field on Fort Avenue. No road closures are planned, however, expect traffic impacts until 10:30 a.m. along the route.

The route is from Restaurant Row to Memorial Drive to Szetela Lane. Right to the walking path before Webb Street, left Andrews, cross Washington Square into the Common and exiting at Forrester Street. Washington Square East, then right to Essex Street, left onto Little Hawthorne Boulevard, left on Derby Street to Fort Avenue to Winter Island Road. Winter Island Road back to Columbus Square, right to Columbus Avenue, right onto Bay View Avenue, left onto Beach Avenue, left on Sutton Avenue, right onto Bay View Avenue, right onto Willows Access Road. Follow the walking path around the backside of the Willows by the yacht club, exit back onto Restaurant Row, follow onto Memorial Drive, right at Szetela Lane, to Memorial Drive, left onto Fort Avenue, and left onto Memorial Drive by the soccer field to finish.

Halloween Day

Halloween events will include multiple road closures and heavy traffic impacts for the entire day and night.

Heavy traffic and likely road closures are also anticipated for the weekend prior to Halloween, Oct. 29 and Oct. 30. Expect major traffic impacts on Route 114 and Route 1A, as well as likely impacts and delays on Route 128.

Downtown Salem streets will close to all traffic no later than 4 p.m.

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 Sgt. James Ayube Memorial Drive will also be closed to all traffic between the westerly overpass ramps and Sgt. James Ayube Memorial Drive from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for the closing fireworks.

The MBTA Salem Garage will be closed for entrances and exits from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Halloween.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)