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AKA How to get a 26' moving truck from Raleigh to Ohio without dying or going 10mph.
Which has fewer "white knuckle" grades:
1. I-40 all the way to TN and then cut north.
2. I-77 north from Winston-Salem and catch I-81 through to I-75 in KY.
3. ???
No ridiculous extremes of small highways, please, in part because I want to be on roads likely to have a passing lane rather than anger every passenger car behind me.
No. 2 is a good option assuming no fog. It is a steep up grade near Hillsville but levels off or small incline to the I 81 interchange. (Different story Southbound). I-81 is beautiful through the Shenandoah Valley. Traffic can be intense in Bristol.
I recommend refueling grab some nabs in Wytheville. There is a several exit options after you make the interstate switch. A rest area half way between Whytheville and Bristol.
No. 2 is a good option assuming no fog. It is a steep up grade near Hillsville but levels off or small incline to the I 81 interchange. (Different story Southbound). I-81 is beautiful through the Shenandoah Valley. Traffic can be intense in Bristol.
I recommend refueling grab some nabs in Wytheville. There is a several exit options after you make the interstate switch. A rest area half way between Whytheville and Bristol.
40 through NC/TN gets a bit crazy but u just have to be more alert for a few miles. My uncle drove that route as a trucker. #2 doesn't make sense to me, where does 81 cross 75? U can do 77N to 64W to 75N. That's a fairly fast, less trafficed and direct route.
Personally I'd rather drive I-40 than I-77. I've had more trouble on 77 over the years than 40. The grade around Black Mountain on I-40 is very steep, but I'd rather go up it than down. I-77 has some scary fog occasionally. Much worse than anything I've ever seen on I-40.
Here's a kinda goofy youtube video of driving up and over Black Mountain:
And here's one of about the same quality (driving videos must be a thing, they both have the signs pop up for you) of I-77 near Fancy Gap (steep grade):
I-26 has a long upgrade pull, just north of where the real I-26 starts off of US 23...
And then, a series of pretty good downgrades for 3-4 miles once one clears Buckner Gap.
I would 40 east to I-75, if the OP doesn't mind the Gorge, it's curves and the elephant chain line of trucks, or I-77 to I-81, and then back track southwest to I-75.
I would pick the I-40 west to I-75 run, in daylight...
GL, mD
I don't think the uphill grades would bother me, as the trucks are mostly driving slow too.
I was trying to visualize driving a moving van through the mountains on I-40. Problem is the trucks are confined to one lane and they are all bookin' it at 55 having driven that stretch 100 times. Heck sometimes I get in the left lane to let them pass me! I'm not sure I'd be comfortable going 55 through the gorge in a big van. I think I'd drive through Hot Springs and plan on pulling over periodically to let any traffic pass. But the OP doesn't want 2 lanes.....
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