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I have an international flight leaving from Charlotte airport at 9:30 am during the week, which means i need to get to airport about 7:30, so i'm curious about the traffic headed south on I-77 by lake versus traffic headed south on I-85 coming in from Salisbury/Kannapolis on in?
Basically, should I take I-40/I-77 or Hwy52/I-85 to get to the airport from Winston-Salem? Either of those routes is no more than a mile difference from where i live in Winston-Salem. I know the lake area gets backed up pretty badly from past experience...though that was a mainly from a year or more ago. Has it changed...is it better or worse? Is I-85 just as bad or better?
Its a total crapshoot. There will be slowdowns on both routes; whether one is much worse than the other depends on many random factors. If you're going to get to the airport at 7:30, you'll likely miss most of the major traffic issues, as you'll be close to the airport before rush hour gets too bad.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by db321
I have an international flight leaving from Charlotte airport at 9:30 am during the week, which means i need to get to airport about 7:30, so i'm curious about the traffic headed south on I-77 by lake versus traffic headed south on I-85 coming in from Salisbury/Kannapolis on in?
Basically, should I take I-40/I-77 or Hwy52/I-85 to get to the airport from Winston-Salem? Either of those routes is no more than a mile difference from where i live in Winston-Salem. I know the lake area gets backed up pretty badly from past experience...though that was a mainly from a year or more ago. Has it changed...is it better or worse? Is I-85 just as bad or better?
Have you considered taking I 40 west to Hickory, taking 321 south to I 85 in Gastonia, then I 85 north to exit 27. Exit I 85 & turn right to Wilkinson Blvd (74) & take a left turn on Wilkinson. You will then be minutes from the airport.
^ I go that way to avoid Charlotte rush hour when i drive to Atlanta. However, that is about 30 extra miles of driving at least so doubt that will save any time unless maybe there is a really bad accident, which could happen any of the 3 proposed routes.
^^ You mention you would probably go I-77 to 485...do you live up by Lake Norman?
^ I go that way to avoid Charlotte rush hour when i drive to Atlanta. However, that is about 30 extra miles of driving at least so doubt that will save any time unless maybe there is a really bad accident, which could happen any of the 3 proposed routes.
^^ You mention you would probably go I-77 to 485...do you live up by Lake Norman?
No. I lived in Charlotte from 2008 to 2014. I commuted from W-S for my first 6 months or so, and my wife commuted from Charlotte to W-S for most of that time.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,810 posts, read 34,654,152 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by db321
^ I go that way to avoid Charlotte rush hour when i drive to Atlanta. However, that is about 30 extra miles of driving at least so doubt that will save any time unless maybe there is a really bad accident, which could happen any of the 3 proposed routes.
^^ You mention you would probably go I-77 to 485...do you live up by Lake Norman?
People aren't kidding about the traffic problems on I 77 during rush hour. Having driven 321 between Hickory & Gastonia, during rush hour, I can say that the only possible hold up there would be a catastrophic accident. The only back up is ~a mile prior to exiting onto I 85. I realize that it's out of the way, but it would also be out of the way to go east to I 85, which you, as the OP, suggested.
I hear ya, and having traveled Hwy 321 many times, i like that route to avoid Charlotte rush hour. However, google maps shows that is 33 miles further and i just don't think driving an extra 30 minutes is the answer.
Interestingly, google maps shows Hwy52/I-85 to be .3 miles shorter than I-40/I-77 route. I have always gone I-77 because thought that was shorter and doesn't make a lot of sense to me how backtracking approximately 2 miles(i live downtown so not far from Hwy 52) is shorter but it must be that you actually travel more miles in a SE direction via that route versus 40/77 where you travel due south further on 77. Plus, google has you exit on Little Rock Rd versus going around 485 west of airport and then backtracking in an extra mile or so as well.
Does anyone commute down 85 from Salisbury/Concord? If so, what's traffic like on 85 South to airport?
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,810 posts, read 34,654,152 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by db321
I hear ya, and having traveled Hwy 321 many times, i like that route to avoid Charlotte rush hour. However, google maps shows that is 33 miles further and i just don't think driving an extra 30 minutes is the answer.
Interestingly, google maps shows Hwy52/I-85 to be .3 miles shorter than I-40/I-77 route. I have always gone I-77 because thought that was shorter and doesn't make a lot of sense to me how backtracking approximately 2 miles(i live downtown so not far from Hwy 52) is shorter but it must be that you actually travel more miles in a SE direction via that route versus 40/77 where you travel due south further on 77. Plus, google has you exit on Little Rock Rd versus going around 485 west of airport and then backtracking in an extra mile or so as well.
Does anyone commute down 85 from Salisbury/Concord? If so, what's traffic like on 85 South to airport?
If you're familiar with 321 then you know how the traffic moves. I suggest that you check Google maps & watch the morning newscasts online to get a feel for the other routes. WSOC, WBTV, & WCNC.
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