This is my first roadtrip report. Keep in mind I was on vacation, so be gentle. :)
We just returned from our week-long expedition to Orlando. I went through a bit of hand-wringing over which way to go, and I went through several scenarios and went with the one I had not experienced before.
On the way out, I followed I-40 into West Memphis, where I got on to I-55 south and went across the old bridge, as I am wont to do. I picked up I-240 eastbound and got off at Lamar Avenue heading southeast toward Birmingham. (NOTE: I haven't been through here since 2009, so I've noticed some new development along Lamar, but I doubt that I-22 will ultimately enter the Memphis metro in this fashion, so it may be irrelevant).
Heading down US-78 across Mississippi, I saw no actual I-22 signage until I crossed the Alabama state line. Alabama went crazy with it, placing full-size I-22 shields almost all the way. I saw, by my count, three sets of the Blue Appalachian Regional Corridor X signage each direction. One thing I noticed as well is that on the overpass road markings (the one that says Xxxxx Rd - Mile 93.6) Only have a blank interstate shield with no number.
On the way down I got off at the recommended exit for trucks at Graysville (Exit 85 signed US-78). You can still continue on to the mandated exit (numbered 93) at Coalburg Rd. More on that later.
I headed on down I-65 toward Montgomery, and got off at Exit 168 for US-82. This part of Montgomery is looking ROUGH. Abandoned buildings seem to almost outnumber occupied ones.
I picked up US-231 south toward Dothan, which was a new road for me. I was curious as to whether I would make good time, whether it was all 4-lanes and divided, etc. With the exception of going through the towns of Troy, Ozark, and Dothan, the speed limits were 65, and never got below 45. I seemed to be able to make good time through there. US-231 in Dothan follows a cool little bypass circle around the west edge of town. I'm sure at one time there wasn't a lot of business on the highway, but it is heavily commercialized now. Even so, I didn't ever get hung up in traffic or stop lights. One oddity I wanted to mention here - between Dothan and the Florida state line, I counted like 6 fruit stands. I'm not sure why they are concentrated in that spot, but I digress.
US-231 meets US-90 and I-10 in Marianna, FL. I traveled east, uneventfully, on I-10 until it met I-75 at Lake City. Heading south on I-75 seemed very forested, like the regions of Alabama and Georgia surrounding the area. Then, all of a sudden it seemed like the thick forestation ended and clearings with palm trees appeared. All that was missing was a sign saying "You are now leaving the temperate forest biome" or some such.
Just south of Ocala, I entered the Florida Turnpike toward Orlando. As expected, this is a gorgeous piece of road, complete with a full service plaza with fuel between the east and west bound lanes.
There's not much to report about the Orlando area highways, other than it took me a while to get my mind wrapped around the highway scheme. I-4 running basically south to north through the area messed with my head a bit.
I took the same route coming back with the exception of getting off on I-65 exit 264 so I could get on I-22 at Coalburg road. They are working on a widening project there, and I was detoured at the Coalburg Rd/Daniel Payne interchange.
One other note - trying to beat the traffic just a bit in the Memphis metro, I didn't travel all the way up Lamar Ave to I-240. I turned west on Shelby Rd and went south of the Airport and accessed I-55 there. One thing I noticed coming back this way is that it directs through traffic to Little Rock to take I-240 and ultimately take the I-40 bridge. I'm sure this is because of the hairy-ness of staying on I-55 to cross the old bridge. It would be a little tougher in a big rig than an auto - so the other way would be preferable.
So, there you have it. I'm sure I suck at this - being my first trip report and all. Thanks for reading.
They should really route I-55 across the big M bridge and I-240 and renumber current I-55 as the US routes 61, 64, 70, and 79, or a 3 digit Interstate if you must. Trucks should also be banned from the Memphis-Arkansas bridge.
Quote from: bugo on July 13, 2013, 12:04:42 AM
They should really route I-55 across the big M bridge and I-240 and renumber current I-55 as the US routes 61, 64,70, and 79, or a 3 digit Interstate if you must. Trucks should also be banned from the Memphis-Arkansas bridge.
Agreed. It's a mess. Especially if you've never been through it before.
Florida's Turnpike: showing tourists that the state isn't all flat, since 1964.
Quote from: NE2 on July 13, 2013, 06:01:17 AM
Florida's Turnpike: showing tourists that the state isn't all flat, since 1964.
It sure was a magnificent piece of highway. If I had it to do over again, I would stop at that service plaza, and put 20 dollars on a Sun Pass. I got sick of getting cash. Especially on the way out to KSC - there was five toll plazas between Orlando and Canaveral.