The City of Boston, in collaboration with partner agencies, has developed a network of routes to be used in the event of an evacuation. The evacuation routes are marked with evacuation signs. If an evacuation is necessary, the public will be notified via the media, the Mayor's Emergency Alert Notification System (MEANS) (in use by February 2006), email alerts accessible through hand held devices and as a last resort, public announcements by emergency personnel.

The purpose of publicizing the evacuation routes is to enable the public to familiarize themselves with the options if an evacuation is warranted.

The evacuation routes include:
Storrow Drive	Mass Pike	Beacon Street
Commonwealth Ave	Mass Ave	I-93
Columbia Road	Dorchester Ave	Blue Hill Ave
Washington Street	Hyde Park Ave	Jamaicaway
Huntington Ave	Ted Williams Tunnel	Callahan Tunnel
American Legion Highway	Tobin Bridge

Officials continue to identify evacuation routes throughout the City to be used in the event of a mass evacuation, especially if the routes have been obstructed or are within a danger zone. Information regarding routes will be made public when circumstances warrant their activation. Emergency officials will alert the public of these routes through public announcements, signage and traffic officials at the appropriate time.

Download a map of the Evacuation Routes .