Stuck with I-81? (Allentown, Scranton, Harrisburg: home, construction, marketplace)

[Doctroid]

I find myself faced with the prospect of driving from Virginia to New York (Syracuse) on Labor Day weekend. Pennsylvania was bad enough on the way south last Sunday: I took I-476 from Clark's Summit to Pittston, so missed whatever was happening on I-81 in there, but from there to Hazleton was a mess with large stretches reduced to one lane. I assume there are similar lane restrictions northbound -- correct?

If so I don't even want to think about what it will be like with holiday traffic. Are there any viable alternatives to I-81 for all or part of York-Harrisburg-Hazleton-Wilkes Barre-Scranton-Binghamton -- besides I-476 from Pittston to Clark's Summit? On Google Maps and MapQuest it looks like almost anything will add an hour or more -- on the other hand if I-81 is backed up the alternate routes may be better -- on the other other hand if the alternate routes are backed up, the cure is worse than the disease...

In particular, would it make any sense at all to take I-78 to Allentown and I-476 to Clark's Summit, or will those be just as bad?

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by Doctroid

I find myself faced with the prospect of driving from Virginia to New York (Syracuse) on Labor Day weekend. Pennsylvania was bad enough on the way south last Sunday: I took I-476 from Clark's Summit to Pittston, so missed whatever was happening on I-81 in there, but from there to Hazleton was a mess with large stretches reduced to one lane. I assume there are similar lane restrictions northbound -- correct?

If so I don't even want to think about what it will be like with holiday traffic. Are there any viable alternatives to I-81 for all or part of York-Harrisburg-Hazleton-Wilkes Barre-Scranton-Binghamton -- besides I-476 from Pittston to Clark's Summit? On Google Maps and MapQuest it looks like almost anything will add an hour or more -- on the other hand if I-81 is backed up the alternate routes may be better -- on the other other hand if the alternate routes are backed up, the cure is worse than the disease...

In particular, would it make any sense at all to take I-78 to Allentown and I-476 to Clark's Summit, or will those be just as bad?

If you take I-78 to Allentown, go to PA-33 north near Easton, which takes you to I-80 in the Stroudsburg area, take 80 west for a little bit, the hop onto I-380 north which takes you to I-81 in Scranton...then take I-81 to the Central Scranton Expressway exit, and follow the signs for US-11 north, which will take you to I-81 in Clarks Summit, avoiding the construction on 81 in the Dickson City/Clarks Summit area. You also have the option of taking US-11 all the way into New York State....from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton to Binghamton, it pretty much runs parallel to 81.

Sounds complicated, but its not too bad...its the only way I can think of besides I-476.

[thecoalman]

Depends on the traffic and this route will be longer if traffic is moving well on the Interstate but it will be much nicer ride. There's only a few lights and stop signs.

If you're on 81 when you're going down the hill into the Wyoming Valley get off the RT.29 exit at the bottom of the hill. You can follow that all the way to New York Border and it eventually meets up with 81. Most of it is 45 to 55 MPH and goes through mostly rural areas. Might be four or five lights and 3 or 4 stop signs.... Most of the lights are in the Tunkhannock area, it will probably be the only place you might get stuck in some traffic.

Alternately you can follow 29 to Tunkhannock then hook a left going east on Rt.6 for a few miles where you can hook up with Rt. 92 north. That will take you to Nicholson home of the World's Largest Concrete Bridge.

nicholson bridge - Google Search


From Nicholson you can follow RT.11 North, most of that is 55mph to the NY border but I don't know how it is after that. Really nice ride through there.

[Doctroid]

Some of the worst of the construction, at least on the southbound side, is south of the exit for 29. But I guess I could get off at exit 145 and go 93 to 239 to 11 to 29.

[thecoalman]

Yea that would work nicely, I'm not too familiar with 93. 239 is really skinny road along the river unless they upgraded since the last time I was there. I think that 45MPH. Once you're on 11 it's 55mph to 29...

One thing to note as RT. 11 was mentioned above, you do not want to follow RT.11 as alternate route instead of 29 because it's all lights for about 20 miles shortly after that.

Just a heads up, speeding along the rural sections is not strictly enforced because it's the states jurisdiction so there isn't enough cops to enforce it however when you get to towns where the speed drops to 35 or 25 that's the speed to go because a lot of these little towns have their own police. You might have a 55 MPH section and then a 1/2 mile of 25MPH and if you're speeding through those sections the chances of getting a ticket are very good.

[ki0eh]

You could take the US 15 corridor from Harrisburg north to Corning, then I-86 east then NY 13 north corridor to return to I-81 just north of Cortland. (In fact that's probably what I will be doing myself. )

The choke points on this route have greatly eased in the last few years. The new interchange from US 15 in South Williamsport to US 15 expressway in downtown Williamsport is finished, saving 10 minutes. Expressway is completed around Lawrenceville at the state line, another 10 minutes shaved off. US 15/I-86 interchange is complete for 65 mph smooth sailing. I-86 is now elevated in Horseheads over the formerly interminable traffic lights on NY 17.

The only remaining significant stopper on the US 15 corridor is the Village of Hummels Wharf and the adjacent Borough of Shamokin Dam, usually referred to collectively as the "Selinsgrove Strip." The last few holiday weekends haven't been as bad there as in past years, not sure why. There are now traffic sensors in front of the new strip mall Monroe Marketplace, maybe that's working. It will be moving faster than I-81 in Scott Township for sure.

On NY 13 there has been fairly active speed enforcement on the south side of Ithaca. There is some construction on the NY 281 Cortland bypass but can avoid this by just following NY 13 through Cortland, which almost never backs up but you need to watch your turns.

[Doctroid]

I ended up going back a week later, so avoided the holiday traffic, which was good, but not the rain, which was not so good.

I took exit 145 and went 93 to 239 to 11 to 29 to 6 to 92 to 11 to 81.

Actually rather little of that was posted at 55 MPH. I think it was mostly 45, with some 50 and a fair bit of 35. Much of 239 was inexplicably posted at 25 MPH.

Traffic was largely nonexistent mostly except for a brief tieup at Tunkhannock. However a lot of the route was 2-lane roads with no passing, so there was the potential for disaster if stuck behind a slow moving vehicle.

On the whole it was not bad and certainly better than fuming in the fumes on I-81 -- assuming the northbound trip would have been similar to the southbound. Next trip, though, I might try the US 15 option.

[Delray Patty]

Glad you had a successful trip Doctroid...We left NEPA last Wednesday, 9/9 to come back to Florida..we
took 81 to 77 at the Va./N.c. border then followed 77 down through South Carolina to 26 east to 95..It
is about 100 miles or so longer this way, but what a beautiful ride...It wll be even more beautiful in a
couple of weeks with all the fall foliage....and we avoided all the mess around D.C/ Baltimore, and the
construction in North Carolina and South Carolina on 95..there is some construction on 95 in Florida but
traffic was moving...would do this again in reverse, but not in the winter..We usually leave from N.J. but
just hate that route....