NH to NJ shore

[DRMan]

My family and I are traveling from the NH seacoast to southern NJ (Wildwood, to be exact).  We're leaving at about 5:00 AM Sunday.  Google suggests the following route:

- I-95/I-495/Mass Pike/I-84 into Connecticut (the easy part)
- I-684/Hutchinson R./Cross County/Saw Mill Pkwys
- I-87 to GWB to NJ Turnpike
- Garden State Pkwy (the other easy part) to Exit 4

Southbound, my main question is:  are we going to miss major traffic jams if we hit the NYC area at about 9-10 AM Sunday?  I'd love to take the GWB, if it's feasible, for the roadgeek experience (I've never been over the bridge).

Our return trip is Friday afternoon/evening.  I'm not looking forward to the traffic.  Is there a decent alternative?  Will GSP/I-287/Tappan Zee Bridge work, or should I plan to head further north?

[Ian]

When our family does our treks up to New England, from the Jersey Turnpike, we take it all the way to the end (an exit before the GWB) and take US 9W up to I-87/287, go over the Tappan Zee, follow 287/Cross Westchester, go onto the Hutchinson River Pkwy into Connecticut on CT 15/Merritt Parkway then take 15 all the way to I-91 then to I-84 and vice versa. It has been pretty sufficiant to us and hasn't done much harm (except the usual traffic over the Tappan Zee).

[Duke87]

For Sunday, traffic in New York should be moving pretty well. That said, the ramp from 87 onto 95 is a perpetual backup, so expect to burn up about 10 minutes there. You can avoid this by taking the Saw Mill/Henry Hudson directly to the bridge, but then you have to pay an extra toll ($3).

An important aspect which may influence the decision: the ramp from 87 onto 95 puts you to the right, most conveniently pointing you to the lower level of the bridge. Getting to the upper level from there requires a very quick merge two lanes to the left. On the other hand, coming from the Henry Hudson southbound (left exit, by the way), it is only really practical to get to the upper level. Getting to the lower level from there means very quickly (about 500 feet) merging two lanes to the right. So, if you prefer to see one level over the other, that might decide your route.



As for the return trip, I wouldn't bypass the GW, as the Tappan Zee is unreliable and going up to 84 west of the Hudson is going unnecessarily far out of your way. Here's trick you can use to get to the bridge: off the turnpike, once you get past the Vince Lombardi rest area, exit onto US 46 east. Follow that to the bridge, it's shorter and you'll bypass a lot of potential traffic.
East of the Hudson... You're going to hit traffic on the Hutch if you go that way, and if you get on the Saw Mill, you'll hit traffic in Yonkers. So, here's what I'd do: off the bridge, get on 87 north, and stay on it intitally. Now for the sneaky part: take exit 5 off the Thruway (NY 100 north). Head up NY 100 for about 2/3 of a mile and stay to your left. When you get to the Sprain (Brook) Parkway, get on going north. Stay on that until you get to a Junction with the Saw Mill. Now, here, get on the Saw Mill northbound and take that to 684.

[SSOWorld]

I would beg to differ for this Sunday being ok traffic wise - especially around Yankee Stadium (Red Sox - Yankees)  I have to plan carefully to GT*O and to Philly before the crowd comes in.

[Duke87]

I wouldn't expect traffic at 9-10 AM for a game that's at 8 PM.

[SSOWorld]

True that.  9-10 will be ok.  Just so happens I'll be in NYC that morning.

[iwishiwascanadian]

I would 87/95.  Last time I was there a few weeks ago their was plenty of construction on the ramp from 87 South to 95 South and coming back through CT there was plenty of construction in Fairfield/New Haven county as well as 95 in The Bronx.  But this was a few weeks ago, so for all I know everything could be finished.   

[Alps]

I'm going to differ from Duke87.  Coming down, yes, your route is basically ideal.  CT 8 instead of I-684 is somewhat more scenic, at the cost of maybe 15 minutes.  Your call.  At 9-10 AM on a Sunday, I-87 ramp shouldn't back up onto I-95 more than a minute at the very top.  I've gone through there enough times to know that.

On the way back, you're going opposite typical Friday traffic, so you'll be fine on the Parkway.  Then there are choices:
* Staying on the Parkway, you'll probably hit traffic in Essex County.  May delay you 15-20 minutes.  The ride should be fairly clear on up to the Tappan Zee, as it's the WB direction that would be heavy there.
* You can take the Turnpike to Exit 72 (US 9W), and then get on the Palisades Parkway.  What I find works best is then take Exit 4, back to US 9W north, to I-87 south/287 east.  You save the GSP traffic, but you lose a few minutes getting up to 287.  Probably worth it to experience the PIP - make sure to get out at the rest area around Exit 3, and when you walk to the cliff to see NYC, you're standing on original US 9W northbound!

From there, I'm conflicted.  I-84 is usually a mess at rush hour (and a bit after), but the Hutch can back up for miles upon miles.  Some people will yell at me, but the one road that I've found reliable during the PM rush hour is the Connecticut Turnpike - probably because the traffic is still bottled up in NYC.  So if I were you, I'd take 287 all the way across to 95 north, then probably take CT 8 from there up CT 15 (which is usually past the worst traffic).  Follow 15 to 91, but be prepared for traffic unless it's already nighttime - not sure that staying on 15/Berlin Tpk. would help, though.  The rest should be clear from there.

[DRMan]

Excellent, I knew I'd get some ideas here!  Here's what I'm thinking now:

Southbound:  use the Google route, except for possibly getting on the GWB from the Henry Hudson Pkwy instead of I-87.  I like the idea of using the upper level to give the kids (and myself) a better view and it sounds like HHP is the better way to get there.

Northbound:  if I was going to be alone, I would probably take Steve's advice and go for the PIP.  But it depends on how the family's holding up and the time of day.  I'm more familiar with the GSP/287/Tappan Zee route so that might end up being the choice.

Steve, where exactly is the I-84 mess?  Are you talking about the Danbury area or Hartford?  Or all of the above?  And would the Merritt Pkwy be a mistake on a Friday?  (I think I know the answer to that one...) 

[Alps]

Excellent, I knew I'd get some ideas here!  Here's what I'm thinking now:

Southbound:  use the Google route, except for possibly getting on the GWB from the Henry Hudson Pkwy instead of I-87.  I like the idea of using the upper level to give the kids (and myself) a better view and it sounds like HHP is the better way to get there.

The weave from I-87 to I-95 Upper isn't all that terrible.  Then again, I hate tolls, so that's my motivation to stay on I-87.  If you'd like a change of pace, take I-684 all the way down to Hutchinson River Parkway, then come across Cross County Parkway to the Henry Hudson (via Saw Mill SB) - that lets you clinch the Cross County AND 684 (well, if you count the eastern branch)!

Northbound:  if I was going to be alone, I would probably take Steve's advice and go for the PIP.  But it depends on how the family's holding up and the time of day.  I'm more familiar with the GSP/287/Tappan Zee route so that might end up being the choice.

Steve, where exactly is the I-84 mess?  Are you talking about the Danbury area or Hartford?  Or all of the above?  And would the Merritt Pkwy be a mistake on a Friday?  (I think I know the answer to that one...) 

The PIP won't cost all that much time over the GSP, and it's beautiful scenery I think even non-roadgeeks would appreciate.  Plus, it's the best chance to stretch your legs for quite some time.

The I-84 mess I tend to worry about in particular is Waterbury, hence not recommending CT 8 to I-84 for the return.  It can be a mess for miles through the city while it's redone in bits and pieces (and remains two lanes to the east).  Merritt looks great on any given afternoon... until you get closer to Bridgeport, when it shuts down completely.  The last thing you want is to try to find I-95 in Bridgeport with a family in the car.

[DRMan]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll report back about how it works out.

[Ian]

I'm more familiar with the GSP/287/Tappan Zee route so that might end up being the choice.

One suggestion is taking exit 72 off the New Jersey Turnpike then go on the Palisades Parkway to US 9W (the last exit in New Jersey) up to 287/87/Tappan Zee. You can also take US 9W in NJ, but thats filled with traffic signals. US 9W is pretty scenic in New York. My family has been taking that route ever since we discovered it a number of years ago.

[elsmere241]

FWIW, my father swears by 84 -> 684 -> 87/287 over Tappan Zee -> Garden State -> NJ Turnpike.  He's been doing that for decades, though, so I don't know if something else would be better.

[Alps]

FWIW, my father swears by 84 -> 684 -> 87/287 over Tappan Zee -> Garden State -> NJ Turnpike.  He's been doing that for decades, though, so I don't know if something else would be better.

My family does the same thing.  But I've found the fastest way without traffic is 84-91-15-Hutch-Cross County-87-95.

[deathtopumpkins]

My Dad also swears by 84-684-87/287-GSP-NJTP, and but last time we took that route it took over 12 hours to get between Hampton Roads and Hartford, CT, so in a few weeks when I'm up there again and I'm likely driving, we're going a different route.

I took Alps' route another time, and it was pretty good time-wise (<12 hours Hampton Roads - Boston), and the only backups we hit were approaching the GWB toll booth and the 95-to-87 ramp. All was clear on the Merritt, and it was well-worth the scenery.

I think next time I may just stick to I-95 though, just to have done it.

[Duke87]

Hell, I've even heard of taking 287 all the way around from Connecticut to Edison. People don't seem to realize just how roundabout this is - the false assumption being that since it's all one highway it must be fairly straight and direct.

Same sort of reason people don't realize that 46 is a faster approach to the bridge from the south (of course, if everyone did it, it wouldn't be). 95 is all the same route, so it must be more direct, right? Well, usually yes, but in this case no. Although, the idea that you could save time by getting off of a highway and then back onto it is, admittedly, quite counterintuitive.

[TheStranger]

Although, the idea that you could save time by getting off of a highway and then back onto it is, admittedly, quite counterintuitive.

I think it depends on how indirect staying on the same-numbered route is - as an out-of-state example, the Toledo to Flint corridor is shorter via US 23 than I-75, for instance...

[deathtopumpkins]

Duke: Google Maps now shows taking 46 through downtown as the fastest route, so the brainless idiots who follow Google Maps directions to the letter should probably be all taking that pretty soon. I think I may just take it some time.

[DRMan]

So, here's how it went.

Southbound:
- I-95/I-495/Mass Pike/I-84
- I-684/Hutchinson R./Cross County/Saw Mill Pkwys
- H. Hudson Pkwy to GWB Upper Level to NJ Turnpike
- Garden State Pkwy to Exit 4

Not a bad trip at all.  The route through the NY parkways was well-signed and congestion-free.  The bridge was not a problem at all.  The only was getting through the GSP widening project* between miles 80 and 60 (or so).  We stopped at the Forked River service area in the midst of the construction (emergency bathroom break), which led to an exciting merge back into the left lane.

Northbound:
- GSP/NJ Tpke/PIP (I opted not to take US 46 due to reports of an accident; even in mid-afternoon, the turnpike was clear except for a minor delay at the toll plaza near the Meadowlands (Carlstadt?).)
- PIP/US 9W/TZB/287/684  (I messed up and took exit 2 off the PIP instead of exit 4 -- still a nice ride; hard to believe the countryside is so rural this close to NYC)
- 684 to 84  (Steve, you were right on about the congestion in Waterbury, and Hartford was about as bad)
- 84/90/495/95  (uneventful, as we spent rush hour on 84)

Many thanks to all for your input.  Next time, we'll leave Wildwood much earlier and we'll try Steve's route.

*wasn't that widening on the GSP supposed to be done years ago?