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i haven't made this drive in a long time (prolly 10 yrs or so), however my nightmares are still riddled with scenes of jersey turnpike/garden state parkway bloodbaths.
i'll be leaving the baltimore area this thursday around 4PM or so (hopefully). i'm thinking that a thursday evening between 5-7 PM is gonna be ugly, so i am considering avoiding the area all together and driving an extra 50 miles to go through harrisburg and scranton to reach the ny state thruway at newburgh -- any thoughts or tips on this strategy?
An extra 50 miles thru Pennsy?!?!?!
I hate driving thru Pennsy!
Take the NJTP.
Your biggest worry should be the Conn TP. Rte 95 in Conn is a nightmare. I usually avoid it and work my way up to 684 to 84 to 91 North.
I would never venture into Pa for that trip and I do tons of miles a year. On 95N at that time I would expect traffic near Baltimore then not again until the GWB onto the Cross Bronx and then heavy but moving into Ct. If you're in a car, exit the GWB and take Henry Hudson N to the Cross County Pwy to avoid the Cross Bronx and much of 95 in NY.
Turnpike NB should be fine on a thurs evening - might have some congestion exits 7A to 8A. Parkway NB shouldn't be too bad either.......most of the heavier traffic is coming the other way.
thanks for the replies. as for CT, it's not even on my route.
here's a recommendation that i got from someone who lives in NE PA and does a good bit of skiing in new england:
I-81 > I-78 east > 287 north > 87 north
that route is only about 35 miles longer than the jersey turnpike route and completely avoids the rush hour traffic i'll be facing through philly, 95, the turnpike, newark, etc.
thanks for the replies. as for CT, it's not even on my route.
here's a recommendation that i got from someone who lives in NE PA and does a good bit of skiing in new england:
I-81 > I-78 east > 287 north > 87 north
that route is only about 35 miles longer than the jersey turnpike route and completely avoids the rush hour traffic i'll be facing through philly, 95, the turnpike, newark, etc.
any other thoughts on this option?
thanks!
yikes. that is SOOOO out of the way. the turnpike isn't that bad to justify going that far west. you can always take 295N once you get into NJ and bypass the turnpike until exit 7. 295 parallels the turnpike and is less crowded (and free). just hop back on the turnpike around exit 57 (on 295).
eta - take the turnpike to exit 10 which is 287 and take that north into NY to I-87. exit 7-10 on the tkpe going north during rush hour shouldn't be TOO bad - it's mostly going south.
i know it seems much further west, but...i already am west (relatively). harrisburg is due north of baltimore, and then i would cut east on I-78. it's only 35 miles longer than the turnpike route.
are you saying i won't lose 35 minutes because of rush hour traffic between the delaware bridge and the GW bridge? because that's the logic i'm using to justify using an alternate route...please let me know if that premise is completely flawed.
i know it seems much further west, but...i already am west (relatively). harrisburg is due north of baltimore, and then i would cut east on I-78. it's only 35 miles longer than the turnpike route.
are you saying i won't lose 35 minutes because of rush hour traffic between the delaware bridge and the GW bridge? because that's the logic i'm using to justify using an alternate route...please let me know if that premise is completely flawed.
i don't know I'd call it flawed per se, i just don't think it's worth it. we all know the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line, so going due north then cutting due east just doesn't "cut" it for me (hahaha). here's how I would go:
95 North into NJ
295 North to Exit 57 (the exit for the Turnpike)
Turnpike North to Exit 10
440S to 287N (don't ask, it's only about 2 miles) into NY State
I-87 North up through Albany and then over into VT however you'd normally go.
eta again - this way, you avoid the GWB, which, as MasterCard says, is "priceless".
i know it seems much further west, but...i already am west (relatively). harrisburg is due north of baltimore, and then i would cut east on I-78. it's only 35 miles longer than the turnpike route.
are you saying i won't lose 35 minutes because of rush hour traffic between the delaware bridge and the GW bridge? because that's the logic i'm using to justify using an alternate route...please let me know if that premise is completely flawed.
So then, by your logic, you would rather drive due north, then due east, then...
Instead of just driving northeast.
I think that everyone here has disagreed with your friends "logic".
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