Shortcut heading east to the Fort Pitt Tunnels? (Pittsburgh, Washington: hotel, home)

[WestLibertyAve]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Nice answer and this is someone that knows the area. I need to study this a bit. Hate that traffic coming into the tunnels. What about taking 79N to 65E if you are coming in on 22? I don't think traffic would be an issue, but maybe it is a little too far?

65 always seemed too far out of the way for me to justify driving it daily to avoid traffic...but if the OP is only making the trip occasionally that could be another alternative.

I drove from McDonald to Oakland every day for a little over a year and was determined to find the holy grail of shortcuts to avoid the parkway mess every morning, but I never did. I finally moved to the city, and now can be in Oakland in under 10 minutes

[gg]

Originally Posted by youngabe

The following can be hit or miss depending on times, but...

Take the Greentree exit, hang a right down Greentree Road, make a left onto Carnahan Road. At the first stop sign, make a left onto Crane Avenue. Follow Crane Avenue to the intersection with Banksville Road. Hang a left out Banksville Road and you'll be at the Banksville merge point on the Parkway. You can easily merge left back into traffic to head into the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

Cutter! You are cutting in line!!

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by WestLibertyAve

I drove from McDonald to Oakland every day for a little over a year and was determined to find the holy grail of shortcuts to avoid the parkway mess every morning, but I never did.

Maglev.

[WestLibertyAve]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

Or you can continue straight on Crane to 51, where you can make a left to take the shortcut over Mt. Washington or continue to the West End, or make a right to get to the Liberty Tunnels.

My favorite way to avoid the Liberty Tunnels and the light that sometimes backs traffic up McCardle Road: 51 to Warrington to Boggs to William St, which is a little one way road that snakes its way down the side of Mt. Washington to Arlington. Never any traffic that way, although potholes and deer are plenty.

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by WestLibertyAve

My favorite way to avoid the Liberty Tunnels and the light that sometimes backs traffic up McCardle Road: 51 to Warrington to Boggs to William St, which is a little one way road that snakes its way down the side of Mt. Washington to Arlington. Never any traffic that way, although potholes and deer are plenty.

Sycamore St will get you down to Carson, too.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Nice answer. What about taking 79N to 65E if you are coming in on 22? I don't think traffic would be an issue, but maybe it is a little too far?

Originally Posted by WestLibertyAve

65 always seemed too far out of the way for me to justify driving it daily to avoid traffic...but if the OP is only making the trip occasionally that could be another alternative.

I drove from McDonald to Oakland every day for a little over a year and was determined to find the holy grail of shortcuts to avoid the parkway mess every morning, but I never did. I finally moved to the city, and now can be in Oakland in under 10 minutes

79 to 65 is my favorite way around the Tunnels when coming from Robinson...

People poo poo it (which is why I like it so much) because it seems like its going out of the way to a lot of folks.

But you have to look at it like this every time I've had to use the detour both 79 and 65 have been wide open...Very little if any stop and go traffic (save for the MKR Bridge) and its very direct (no turns or anyways of getting lost in the neighborhoods)...Getting on 79N from the Parkway to coming across the Ft Dqu Bridge into Downtown is 15 to 20 mins tops for me.

I have been a fan ever since they've added that missing ramp from the inbound Parkway to 79N

Now with 65 getting that massive construction project, the benefits have been pretty much killed until the construction is over.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

79 to 65 is my favorite way around the Tunnels when coming from Robinson...

People poo poo it (which is why I like it so much) because it seems like almost going in a circle.

But you have to look at it like this every time I've had to use the detour both 79 and 65 have been wide open...Very little if any stop and go traffic (save for the MKR Bridge) and its very direct (no turns or anyways of getting lost in the neighborhoods)...From getting on 79N to coming across the Ft Dqu Bridge into Downtown is 15 to 20 mins tops for me.

I might give it a try and time it. It isn't that far away.

[ferraris]

I also suggest using Crane Avenue. You can either turn left onto Banksville and continue to the Ft. Pitt Tunnel, or take the exit on the right to 51 and continue to the Liberty tunnel. Or you can continue on Crane until it dead ends into 51 and then take the liberty tunnel.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

Sycamore St will get you down to Carson, too.

Need some good brakes.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Now with 65 getting that massive construction project, the benefits have been pretty much killed until the construction is over.

That's true, definitely don't take 65 for the next 4 months.

It sounds like you're going to Oakland to Pitt/UPMC? Not 100% clear, but if that is the case this makes taking Crane (as described above) all the way to Rt 51 the best option to me. Go straight across Banksville Rd on Crane. Turn right when it dead ends on 51. Then ramp down to Liberty Tunnel and Liberty Bridge, ramp up to Blvd of the Allies just on the other end of the bridge, make a right, then ramp down to Forbes.