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Hey. Tomorrow (Sat) I am taking a drive from Orlando to Chicago (Northside). Somewhere near Nashville there are 2 routes I can take to finish the trip (on Sun). They merge somewhere in Southside Chicago:
1. I-65 to Gary, I-90 (Indiana Toll Road/Skyway?) to Chicago. 35 minutes shorter on Google. Takes me through the Louisville, Indianapolis metro areas, and NW Indiana.
2. I-24 to I-57 to I-94. More rural, only pass near Clarksville, Chambana, south Chicago burbs. 35 minutes longer on Google.
Any recommendations on which route to take?
What might help me is:
1. Are cops stricter about speeding in Southern/Central Illinois (2nd route) or Indiana (1st route) (if one can make such a generalization)?
2. Is there a lot of traffic going through Indy or Louisville on a weekend (I suspect not as I have driven through both on a weekend without incident)?
3. Might there be a lot of beach traffic going Northbound through NW Indiana during the early afternoon, as the 2nd route takes me near the Indiana Sand Dunes.
I know this is a very specific question, but any help would be greatly appreciated!
If you want major cities, do I-65. Personally, in my opinion, I-57 through Illinois may perhaps be the most boring stretch of interstate in the country. Nothing but cornfield after cornfield after cornfield. You don't even hit a major city until around Champaign/Urbana, but even then, not a real big city. I-65 will take you through more interesting terrain in Tennessee and Kentucky, and as a plus you will also get big cities, like you said, like Louisville and Indianapolis, on the way to Chicago. Just a word of advice that you may have to pay toll on I-80/90/94.
I would go with I-65 as being the best rooute. However, my assumption is that cops will be strict anywhere being that it is Labor Day Weekend. If you don't want to pay a toll then take the Borman Expressway(I-80/94) from 65 to I-57 north, but keep in mind that traffic is always heavier along this stretch. If you don't mind paying a toll then take 65 to the Indiana toll road/Chiago skyway(I-90) and follow that to the Dan Ryan.
65 is the most direct and the fastest. You breeze through Indy at almost any time of day, go right through, don't use the loop. Louisville too.
You can travel through Kentucky and Indiana going 10 over with no anxiety.
Your big decision is how to procede west to Chicago when you hit the north end of 65; whether to take 80-94 west or go a little farther north and take the Indiana tollway to the Skyway and then the Ryan. Much depends on the time of day as 94 is often buggered up and seems to be in a state of permanent construction (and I've used it since the 1960s and it seems it's ALWAYS being worked on somewhere). It's generally safer to take the tollway.
Speed limit in Indiana is 70. In Illinois it's 65. I'd take the route that keeps you in Indiana until the minute you hit Chicago. Plus the Illinois State troopers don't take prisoners on 57 during holiday weekends; there are 3 major state universities on 57 and lots of college knuckleheads drive like it's a Cannonball Run back and forth between the universities and Chicago on holiday weekends.
Too late now, but it can be nearly impossible to get across the IL/IN state line on I-80. It is a bottleneck, there is always construction, and usually a truck wreck. If you're going up I-65 cross over into Illinois no further north than exit 230. It's fairly quick to go from there to Kankakee and then north.
Thank you for the comments. I took the I-65 route, and then went for I-80/94 instead of the tollway (because I am cheap). No traffic until I entered the city of Chicago (construction and the White Sox game let out). Once I passed Cellular Field, smooth sailing again. I would recommend taking the tollway.
Going to make a part of this run this weekend. Looks like a lot of construction on I-65.. as usual. Any new updates?
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