Better to go through B'ham or bypass? (Birmingham, Montgomery: rental, construction)

[DeMango]

I find it hard to believe that between exit 16 on I-85 and Tifton, GA, I assume using US 82, there are only 5 traffic lights. My preferred method has been to use US 231 from Montgomery to I-10 via Dothan, in the middle of the night.

We have talked about that intersection of I-22 and I-65, on another thread. Still not open?

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by DeMango

I find it hard to believe that between exit 16 on I-85 and Tifton, GA, I assume using US 82, there are only 5 traffic lights. My preferred method has been to use US 231 from Montgomery to I-10 via Dothan, in the middle of the night.

We have talked about that intersection of I-22 and I-65, on another thread. Still not open?

I agree with your idea about US 231 as do many mid-westerners who travel to Florida. (that is why there is a discussion of an eventual interstate, although long range unfortunately)

(many towns in south Georgia literally only have a stop sign, and there are not many towns. Some names on a map are just a group of homes and two businesses)

I drove though the interchange yesterday. Perhaps you envision a more typical one. This project runs two miles in length, has twenty-four bridges, two large tunnels encompassing eight to fourteen lanes, and had to be built over an existing road and railway. Each side of the north and southbound has had to be re-located and closed for the tunnel construction and the flyovers which are huge can't be extended over ROW until that traffic is temporarily re-routed to other newly built lanes. All of this connecting two freeways that are not nearly at the same level.
Also, because it was discussed and engineered for so long, I think people believe it has been under construction for far longer than the two years that have passed. It will be finished next year, it is not just sitting there. The work is more challenging than any other freeway structure I have observed with the exception of a five stack in north Dallas. It was projected from the beginning to be a four year project, so they are bringing it in good time. They have had some mysterious problem on a five lane connector between I-22 and I-65 that is frustrating because that road is being used to transfer now. Oh, I did notice yesterday that they have opened the Daniel Payne Drive north bound collector/distributor roadway. So as they get some parts finished they will open.

Of course, remember, when this is finished they are immediately tearing down an elevated section downtown and spending two years to replace it.
I went through this in San Antonio a few years ago, and it was worth it. It is very hard to build a new system over an old one.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Okay...here's what you do. Here's the best possible route to Orlando. Trust me on this.

Take I-65 to Montgomery. Then take I-85. Get off on exit 16 and head to Eufala, then onward to Tifton. About five traffic lights total that way. Zero traffic.

That route is the best by a long shot.

I've done that route and agree it is pretty darned good, but from Tipton the dang interstate was always a wall of trucks slowly slaloming between orange cones when I went. That and other factors made me do the Montgomery/Dothan route. Dothan was a natural rest point for me. Has the interstate between Atlanta and points south gotten better?

[DeMango]

Yes, I should add that unless one drives that portion of US 231 late at night, you get caught in local traffic that will slow you seriously down. Case in point the city of Troy. I have even tried to get to Memphis (Tunica in fact) by just taking I-75 north to Atlanta and hanging a left on I-20. More miles but no red lights.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I've done that route and agree it is pretty darned good, but from Tipton the dang interstate was always a wall of trucks slowly slaloming between orange cones when I went. That and other factors made me do the Montgomery/Dothan route. Dothan was a natural rest point for me. Has the interstate between Atlanta and points south gotten better?

It was fine the last time I drove it back in March. I just can't handle the slog down 231. It's awful. And then you get on I-10 for the most boring stretch of interstate east of the Mississippi.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by DeMango

I find it hard to believe that between exit 16 on I-85 and Tifton, GA, I assume using US 82, there are only 5 traffic lights. My preferred method has been to use US 231 from Montgomery to I-10 via Dothan, in the middle of the night.

We have talked about that intersection of I-22 and I-65, on another thread. Still not open?

Maybe 10. I'm not kidding you. In other words, about one tenth the number you'll experience going the other routes. Almost no trucks either.

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Okay...here's what you do. Here's the best possible route to Orlando. Trust me on this.

Take I-65 to Montgomery. Then take I-85. Get off on exit 16 and head to Eufala, then onward to Tifton. About five traffic lights total that way. Zero traffic.

That route is the best by a long shot.

i agree with this route. don't forget to take I-22 until Coalburg Road, and then take Daniel Payne Drive to 65.

[John Williams]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Okay...here's what you do. Here's the best possible route to Orlando. Trust me on this.

Take I-65 to Montgomery. Then take I-85. Get off on exit 16 and head to Eufala, then onward to Tifton. About five traffic lights total that way. Zero traffic.

That route is the best by a long shot.

That sounds a bit long and convoluted to me. Travelling from Huntsville to Miami (going through Orlando along the way), I stuck to I-65 through Bham until I reached Montgomery, took the W. South Blvd exit (US 80/82), then took US 231 all the way to Dothan.

But here's where I deviated from everyone else: Instead of staying on US 231 all the way to I-10, I jumped on US 84 eastbound towards Donaldsonville and Bainbridge, then hopped on US 27 until I reached I-10 in Tallahassee. Only problem with that route is going through Havana, FL (a wonderful speed trap of a town), but either way you're looking at a roughly 12-hour drive.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by John Williams

That sounds a bit long and convoluted to me. Travelling from Huntsville to Miami (going through Orlando along the way), I stuck to I-65 through Bham until I reached Montgomery, took the W. South Blvd exit (US 80/82), then took US 231 all the way to Dothan.

But here's where I deviated from everyone else: Instead of staying on US 231 all the way to I-10, I jumped on US 84 eastbound towards Donaldsonville and Bainbridge, then hopped on US 27 until I reached I-10 in Tallahassee. Only problem with that route is going through Havana, FL (a wonderful speed trap of a town), but either way you're looking at a roughly 12-hour drive.

Well, that's also a valid direction. But you're still having to deal with a zillion red lights in places such as Troy and Dothan. It's really excruciating.

The route I'm recommending is almost traffic-light free and scenic with little traffic. Lots of Birminghamsters take it.

[VeeBee66]

Can not tell you how many times we've made the trip from NW Alabama to Naples, Florida. We went several different ways and we decided that going I20 to I285 to I75 in Atlanta is by far the best and fastest if you can avoid the time around rush hours. I think we actually got caught up in traffic in Atlanta once.