Traveling through the city on 95 (New York, Newburgh: construction, live in, garden)

[vermonter16]

Hey New Yorkers, need some of your experience please. My husband and I are hauling a trailer (a utility trailer) up to Vermont from Virginia tomorrow night and will be driving through the city (GW Bridge) at around midnight/1am so I don't think there will be much issue with traffic. However, we will be driving back from Vermont with the empty trailer in tow on Saturday (yep - whirlwind 24 hour trip) and was wondering how bad the traffic normally is around the area. I am not sure what time we might be passing through....could be early afternoon.... Thoughts? Advice? Thanks!

[30to66at55]

Cross the Hudson north of the tappan zee and head south on the NY thruway and pick up 95 in New Jersey

You should be royally screwed on a Saturday afternoon.

[rlrl]

hard to say, the GWB, Cross Bronx, New England Thruway combo can always have delays for no known reason just because the roads just aren't wide enough to handle all the traffic

I don't know if 30 to 66 is joking or not but you can pick up the Garden State Pkwy at exit 11 on the NJ TPK and take it to I 287 south after you cross the state line into NY. head east on I287/87 take exit 8 to continue on 287 until you hit I 95

[vermonter16]

Thanks, I checked out a map and saw that. I've travelled the thruway lots, just normally coming from a different route. We live in the DC area and are used to traffic delays and congestion, just not NY city traffic and congestion. Some delay isn't bad....but a couple of hours delay would not be nice

[30to66at55]

I wasnt joking about crossing the hudson higher up. Try going to 84 in CT and heading over the hudson at newburg. You can then pick up the NY Thruway and cut down thru jersey on 95. Of course, the NJ Turnpike (95) is no pleasure either with all the construction but you will avoid going thru the Bronx.

[bmwguydc]

I agree with the above, cross at Newburgh, on 84. Stay with 295 to avoid the headaches of the construction in South Jersey on the Turnpike. If you had a reason to be in Westchester or Fairfield, then you could cross the Tappan Zee, but no need as you are going further north. You can then pick up 87S to 287 and follow to Edison, where you can rejoin the Turnpike, exiting at 195 West to pick up 295 South. You could avoid the Turnpike completely, if you were to take Route 1 through Princeton, which takes about 45 minutes for the trip (only 20 miles or so). You can take a gamble on the Turnpike on a Saturday that far down, but I would avoid the road construction and lane shifts. 295 also is less traveled, and parallels the Turnpike, yet is not a toll road.