Oakley-Mason commute in the morning? (Montgomery, Kenwood: 2015, home, construction)

[pearliepearl]

What's 71N like during the morning and evening commutes? Is it as bad as 75N?

[t45209]

No, 71 is never as bad as 75, however if you are heading north to Mason, you will encounter 2 or 3 choke points. First, the Kenwood cut in the hill. For the life of me, I can't figure out why people can't drive through there, but they can't. Second, you might get a little slow down around Pfeiffer to 275. Third, Fields Ertel is a daily grind, and worse with the construction.

Usually the trip home is better. Pfeiffer to Cross County will slow you down, but that may improve considerably once the new lanes are open. Then you'll get the slow down as you approach Red Bank and head into the sun toward the Lateral (unless you jump off at Red Bank).

[flashes1]

Smooth sailing in the morning if on 71 by 7:00........however, at night, it's another story. It's bad.....and really bad this week (lots of accidents for some reason)....key at night is to be on 71 before 4:00 or after 6:00.

[Wilson513]

When you say Oakley-Mason commute, I take that to mean from Oakley to Mason. I think others were confused because there is no delay in the morning until you get to I-275 and that is only a lane choice problem. Traffic in the right two lanes backs up to exit onto I-275. The bulk of the traffic is going the other way.

Here is what it looks like this morning on the Kenwood hill:

[Wilson513]

Later:

[flashes1]

Yea, looks like Wilson probably has it right. I think the trek up 71 North in the morning won't be bad at all..(right now the worst traffic is getting off at Fields-Ertel----but that should be alleviated in Spring 2015 once they have the ramp going North on Mason-Montgomery built).... but during the evening commute, I see traffic on 71 South bottle up pretty good between 275 and Reagan....but I think it's mostly open until you get to Exit 5 for Hyde Park / Oakley....that ramp is really bad and something you want to avoid between 5:00-6:00 pm.....but I'm sure there's a prior Exit you can take once you learn the lay-of-the-land that avoids that.

[progmac]

the commute you are describing is very doable and much much better than any commute involving 75.

[Wilson513]

They have the right side of Kenwood hill (outbound) marked slow this morning, but this is what it looks like:

[flashes1]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

They have the right side of Kenwood hill (outbound) marked slow this morning, but this is what it looks like:

Is the lane on the left, Northbound or Southbound?

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by flashes1

Is the lane on the left, Northbound or Southbound?

The outbound lane is on the right.