Hey everyone,
I'm going to be driving cross-country with a friend for 2 weeks in September and was wondering if there are any major issues (construction, closures, etc.) on my route. Specifically, I'm leaving southern RI early morning Sept 4, arriving San Francisco Sept 18, and then to San Diego Sept 20. We are planning "stops" (some of them just for an hour or so, most of them for a couple days) in: New Britain CT, Philadelphia, Asheville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Clovis NM, 4 corners area. Will be mostly sticking to Interstates and freeways except perhaps Asheville -> Atlanta, and from Clovis through the 4 corners.
To avoid making a second topic, I'm also driving from DC to southern RI on Sunday August 29, and I'm anticipating pretty heavy weekend travel traffic. I'm pretty familiar with North Jersey, NYC, Connecticut, but I'm not so sure about DC -> NYC traffic. A few weeks ago I drove DC -> Princeton NJ and encountered lots of traffic from Baltimore to Philly, and while I stuck on 95 through Philly, the exit to 295 / NJTP was packed solid. I know I can go around everything using 83, 81, 84 but is it going to be worth all that extra mileage?
Thanks in advance. By the way, if anyone's looking for road/travel info or has questions (roadgeek or otherwise on recent developments) from central Jersey through Boston, let me know.... I've driven about 7500 miles around the region in the last 2 months! I read through here a lot but maybe I should post more often....
-Alex
This sounds awesome! I've always wanted to do a major roadtrip like the one you're doing - just don't have the time, money, or people to do it with just yet...
I can speak a little for New Orleans. I'm not exactly sure how far along they are with the construction of the I-10 twinspans over Lake Ponchartrain which are situated northwest of New Orleans and south of Slidell. Last I was there was around February of this year, and they had the eastbound side finished but were still working on the westbound side, if I remember correctly. It took them a few years to get to that point, so I have no idea if they're fully finished yet.
Of course, you could also take I-55 south to its southern terminus to I-10, then take I-10 east to New Orleans. I'm not sure on the exact route you're planning to get to/from New Orleans but I have visited there and have driven there numerous times while I was in college in Baton Rouge so I can help with that part of your trip. Just let me know!
Do you expect to lose two hours to traffic traveling between Baltimore and Connecticut? Because that's about how much time 83/81/84 adds compared to 95/NJTP (assuming no traffic on either route). I doubt that it's worth it timewise, but it does have the benefit of saving you a lot on tolls.
Quote from: Duke87 on August 18, 2010, 04:17:31 PM
Do you expect to lose two hours to traffic traveling between Baltimore and Connecticut? Because that's about how much time 83/81/84 adds compared to 95/NJTP (assuming no traffic on either route). I doubt that it's worth it timewise, but it does have the benefit of saving you a lot on tolls.
it's more like an hour and a half. 81 is clogged with trucks, but at least it doesn't have a speed limit of 55 anywhere, like 95 in a lot of places. You can flat out haul ass on 81. I've done Boston to DC in 7 1/2 hours via 81. Don't think I could've achieved that on 95 even though it's shorter.
I did Hartford to DC and a great alternative is taking 84-684-Hutch-87 than instead of taking the GWB take the West Side Highway (NY 9A) south into Manhattan onto the Holland Tunnel and then take US-1 all the way down to 95 past Princeton. It saves headaches/tolls. Using that route it took us about 7 hours.
Quote from: iwishiwascanadian on August 18, 2010, 05:52:20 PM
I did Hartford to DC and a great alternative is taking 84-684-Hutch-87
If he's going to be using NY 9A, he could also go 84-684-Hutch-Saw Mill Pkwy-Henry Hudson Pkwy (NY 9A), although there is a $3 toll on the Henry Hudson Bridge.
Quote from: iwishiwascanadian on August 18, 2010, 05:52:20 PMinstead of taking the GWB take the West Side Highway (NY 9A) south into Manhattan onto the Holland Tunnel and then take US-1 all the way down to 95 past Princeton. It saves headaches/tolls. Using that route it took us about 7 hours.
No toll on either the GWB or the tunnel heading out of NYC towards NJ. I can't speak to the time involved with taking compared to the other, as I've never been through the tunnel.
I think 83-81-78 probably is worth the extra mileage, especially because you then get to bypass NYC on 287 fairly easily. And you can stop by and visit when you pass 80 on 287. Anyway, the I-10 spans over LA are not yet finished, but we as roadgeeks love construction, so you'll be happy with some good views.
Regarding NYC routes, if you're heading south, my favorite is 84-91-15-95 at Milford - you can stay on 15 but I like having more exits to keep me busy, vs. falling asleep with all the trees on the Merritt. Either way, listen to 1010/880 AM for traffic updates, and decide based on "outbound" delays. The fastest way with no traffic would be staying on 95, but that's rarely the case (11:50 PM on Sunday, for example). If the Cross Bronx or Bruckner is backed up westbound (that's I-95 SB), get onto the Hutch (use 287 to get over from 95), then take the Cross County. If there are delays on the Deegan going to the GW (which is 87S-95S to you), then stay on the Cross County to the Henry Hudson - yes you get stuck with a toll, but it's worth the time savings potentially. (The Deegan ramp costs about 5-10 minutes - not terrible.)
Rarely is it worth it to detour down to one of the tunnels, unless you have a pit stop in NYC. I'd recommend against FDR Drive, because construction is wreaking havoc on a few stretches with stop and go traffic all day long.
I was in Houston the last week of July. There was work on I-10 at US 59 that caused big backups in both directions. I'm not sure when they will wrap that up.
There is road work in Baton Rouge on I-10 between I-12 and Highland Road on the south side. Periodic road closures do happen at night...the same on I-12 between O'Neal Lane and Denham Springs if you go that way.
Night work is now underway on I-10 between Clearview Parkway and Causeway Blvd. The Twin Spans aren't a problem.
Quote from: AstareGod on August 18, 2010, 04:15:12 PM
Of course, you could also take I-55 south to its southern terminus to I-10, then take I-10 east to New Orleans. I'm not sure on the exact route you're planning to get to/from New Orleans but I have visited there and have driven there numerous times while I was in college in Baton Rouge so I can help with that part of your trip. Just let me know!
Or take the longest bridge in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. That's better than I-55, IMHO.
Quote from: Duke87 on August 18, 2010, 04:17:31 PM
Do you expect to lose two hours to traffic traveling between Baltimore and Connecticut?
Probably not a whole 2 hours, so probably not worth it. I think Steve's suggestion of going up to 78 and 287 around NYC might be a good one though. One problem with going all the way to 84 is that I'm going south enough in RI (Kingston) that I need to leave Connecticut on 95, so I'd have to go south-ish to get there (691, 66, 9) which is a little bit of backtracking. Also on a Sunday afternoon, I'm pretty sure the Tappan Zee will be better than waiting in line for the GWB.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 18, 2010, 04:38:43 PM
81 is clogged with trucks, but at least it doesn't have a speed limit of 55 anywhere, like 95 in a lot of places. You can flat out haul ass on 81.
There's still that obnoxious long stretch of 55 zone on 84 in NY (and into CT) though, unless that's changed recently.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on August 18, 2010, 09:59:02 PM
...get onto the Hutch (use 287 to get over from 95), then take the Cross County. If there are delays on the Deegan going to the GW (which is 87S-95S to you), then stay on the Cross County to the Henry Hudson - yes you get stuck with a toll, but it's worth the time savings potentially. (The Deegan ramp costs about 5-10 minutes - not terrible.)
That's usually what I do, with minor variations. Sometimes I use the Mosholu to go from Henry Hudson to the Deegan, sometimes I take 287 all the way to 87 and take that south (when there are delays on the Hutch...). Rarely I'll take the Merritt from Milford in CT, if there are long delays in Norwalk or Stamford. I'll be headed through here early enough on a Saturday morning that Cross Bronx could be an option, I'll check the traffic. But since I'm going via New Britain, I may as well take 684 to the Hutch.
I don't mind tolls that much, except lines at the tollbooths. Express E-ZPass helps, but often the E-ZPass lanes aren't separated off early enough so I have to wait with all the cash money people anyways....
Quote from: citrus on August 19, 2010, 09:47:45 AM
There's still that obnoxious long stretch of 55 zone on 84 in NY (and into CT) though, unless that's changed recently.
I'd forgotten about that. There's about 14 miles in Hartford and then a random 8 miles or so in some random Conn town for no reason. Hartford even goes down to 50.
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2010, 08:16:09 AM
Or take the longest bridge in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. That's better than I-55, IMHO.
that's cheating ;) if you have supports in the middle, it's not a bridge, it's a sequence of bridges!
Another option to consider to avoid the I-95 corridor heading back north is I-83 to York, US 30 to Lancaster, and US 222 to Allentown to pick up I-78. You're then fairly well situated to take whichever route you choose to get across the Hudson.
Though PennDOT is doing major rehab on the Kutztown bypass (entire thing is single-lane and 45 MPH as a result), the only real problem area is the signal at PA 73. This is easily avoided by using PA 12 and PA 662 through Reading.
If you're headed into California on I-80, you'll run into some construction work right at the California/Nevada border. Expect to have only one lane available for about 4 miles and depending on when you're traveling through there, expect some pretty hefty delays (30 minutes or more). You will probably see intermittent road work on I-80 from Truckee to Colfax over Donner Summit. Also, the Donner Summit rest area is closed. To see upcoming road work on I-80 through the Sierra Nevada mountains go to http://www.getacross80.com/travel_info.php.
Also the bridge toll on the Bay Bridge has changed. If you're crossing Monday thru Friday from 5-10 am and 3-7 pm the toll is $6.00, otherwise it's $4.00. If you're crossing on Saturday or Sunday, the toll is $5.00.
Quote from: myosh_tino on August 19, 2010, 01:30:45 PM
Also the bridge toll on the Bay Bridge has changed. If you're crossing Monday thru Friday from 5-10 am and 3-7 pm the toll is $6.00, otherwise it's $4.00. If you're crossing on Saturday or Sunday, the toll is $5.00.
I know that those with Fastrak who are carpooling get a $2.50 toll, but does that apply to all the bridges, and is the 3-per-car minimum for I-80 applicable everywhere for Bay Area carpool lanes?
Quote from: myosh_tino on August 19, 2010, 01:30:45 PM
If you're headed into California on I-80, you'll run into some construction work right at the California/Nevada border. Expect to have only one lane available for about 4 miles and depending on when you're traveling through there, expect some pretty hefty delays (30 minutes or more). You will probably see intermittent road work on I-80 from Truckee to Colfax over Donner Summit. Also, the Donner Summit rest area is closed. To see upcoming road work on I-80 through the Sierra Nevada mountains go to http://www.getacross80.com/travel_info.php.
Also the bridge toll on the Bay Bridge has changed. If you're crossing Monday thru Friday from 5-10 am and 3-7 pm the toll is $6.00, otherwise it's $4.00. If you're crossing on Saturday or Sunday, the toll is $5.00.
Thanks for the link....not sure what route we'll be using to get to California: either 40, 15, or 80, depending on what we want to see. But will keep the 80 construction in mind. I've got a Fastrak for the Bay Area tolls. I'm dropping off my friend in Palo Alto before going to San Francisco, so if I'm coming from the south, I won't even need it.
Quote from: TheStranger on August 19, 2010, 02:28:05 PM
...is the 3-per-car minimum for I-80 applicable everywhere for Bay Area carpool lanes?
Last time I was there (May), it was just 80/580 on the Eastshore Freeway. Also, the restrictions are just for commute hours (roughly 6-9, 3-7), not 24/7 like the SoCal carpool lanes. I don't know about the HOT lanes they're putting in on 580 and 680.
Quote from: citrus on August 19, 2010, 03:59:20 PM
Thanks for the link....not sure what route we'll be using to get to California: either 40, 15, or 80, depending on what we want to see. But will keep the 80 construction in mind. I've got a Fastrak for the Bay Area tolls. I'm dropping off my friend in Palo Alto before going to San Francisco, so if I'm coming from the south, I won't even need it.
Take one of the more southern Sierra crossings - 120 or 178!
Quote from: citrus on August 19, 2010, 03:59:20 PM
Thanks for the link....not sure what route we'll be using to get to California: either 40, 15, or 80, depending on what we want to see. But will keep the 80 construction in mind. I've got a Fastrak for the Bay Area tolls. I'm dropping off my friend in Palo Alto before going to San Francisco, so if I'm coming from the south, I won't even need it.
Last time I was there (May), it was just 80/580 on the Eastshore Freeway. Also, the restrictions are just for commute hours (roughly 6-9, 3-7), not 24/7 like the SoCal carpool lanes. I don't know about the HOT lanes they're putting in on 580 and 680.
I don't think you need to worry about the 680 or 580 HOT lanes. The 680 lane is southbound only and won't open until Sept 20th. Until the 20th, the lane remains a standard carpool lane (2+, 5-9 am, 3-7 pm Mon-Fri). The 580 lane is still under construction and won't open as a HOT lane until 2011.
The carpool lanes on the approaches to the toll plaza are all 3+ while they are 2+ on the freeways (except I-80).
If you're sticking to interstates you shouldn't run into any issues in Oklahoma. There is ongoing reconstruction work in Garvin County on I-35 but it's not a major time loss. Be advised that Oklahoma roads are generally shitty though. If you choose to bypass the entire state by cutting straight across from Dallas to Amarillo on US-287, do note that Childress is a well-renowned speed trap.
You should be aware that temperatures in TX/OK can get into the 90s even through September. Autumn-like temperatures often do not begin until late September/early October, and then often stay that way for about two weeks before becoming winter-ish (like 40s, which is generally as "wintery" as Oklahoma gets).
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 19, 2010, 11:35:09 AM
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2010, 08:16:09 AM
Or take the longest bridge in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. That's better than I-55, IMHO.
that's cheating ;) if you have supports in the middle, it's not a bridge, it's a sequence of bridges!
Not even true if they're structurally connected.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on August 19, 2010, 09:00:05 PM
Not even true if they're structurally connected.
it's nowhere near the engineering feat if you are allowed to lay down supports ever 100 feet!
You seem be thinking of what most bridge people would call a "span"...
Here's a tip from someone that's driven out west extensive after being from the east coast. Two lane roads out west are VERY fast moving routes. Much less traveled, much more scenic, and let you get a sense of the small town world the freeways have bypassed. When you leave Dallas, take US287 to US380 (or US70) through Lubbock to Clovis.
Take US84 up to Santa Fe, to the NM502 (through Los Alamos, definitely worth the vista), to US550 toward Farmington to US64 west to US160 in Teec Nos Pos to Four Corners. Go up to US191 to I-70 (through Monticello and Moab. Arches N.P. can be done in a few hours doing a few of the trails, but not the long one to Delicate, only the short one). Go US50 west over the Loneliest Road to Carson City through Lake Tahoe and to Sacramento that way to San Francisco via 80.
Most 2-lane roads out west are 65-75mph (Nevada will be a breeze). Texas is 70+ for all roads during daytime hours (unless in a city or there's a clear reason for a lower speed limit). Utah and New Mexico are 65.
Just my two cents.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 19, 2010, 06:56:14 PM
If you're sticking to interstates you shouldn't run into any issues in Oklahoma. There is ongoing reconstruction work in Garvin County on I-35 but it's not a major time loss. Be advised that Oklahoma roads are generally shitty though. If you choose to bypass the entire state by cutting straight across from Dallas to Amarillo on US-287, do note that Childress is a well-renowned speed trap.
You should be aware that temperatures in TX/OK can get into the 90s even through September. Autumn-like temperatures often do not begin until late September/early October, and then often stay that way for about two weeks before becoming winter-ish (like 40s, which is generally as "wintery" as Oklahoma gets).
The direct route probably wouldn't take us through Oklahoma...though we might pass through just to say we've been there. Not too worried about the weather - it's been 90+ and humid for a good portion of the summer here in NJ. Though if we go to Death Valley it will be a different story. More worried about low temps actually since we'll probably be camping around the 4 corners. Last Labor Day we went to Crater Lake in Oregon and were not prepared for lows in the high 20's and even a dusting of snow!
Quote from: Sykotyk on August 20, 2010, 12:45:05 PM
Here's a tip from someone that's driven out west extensive after being from the east coast. Two lane roads out west are VERY fast moving routes.
Yeah, we'll probably be on mostly 2-laners from Dallas to I-15 in Utah, which is fine. I've flown across the deserts in southern CA on deserted 2 laners - as long as the pavement's good.
Does anyone know where the speed limit 80 counties are in TX? If there are any on I-20, we might try to see one west of Dallas, if there is one before US 84.
Quote from: citrus on August 20, 2010, 01:04:02 PM
Yeah, we'll probably be on mostly 2-laners from Dallas to I-15 in Utah, which is fine. I've flown across the deserts in southern CA on deserted 2 laners - as long as the pavement's good.
some are fast-moving, others are not. US-6 tends to be clogged with trucks, for example, between I-70 and Salt Lake City. As does US-95, as a random example, from Needles to Blythe.
QuoteDoes anyone know where the speed limit 80 counties are in TX? If there are any on I-20, we might try to see one west of Dallas, if there is one before US 84.
There are some on 20, but they are west of there, that's for sure. I don't remember exactly where, but they're really out in the sticks.
Quote from: Sykotyk on August 20, 2010, 12:45:05 PM
Most 2-lane roads out west are 65-75mph (Nevada will be a breeze). Texas is 70+ for all roads during daytime hours (unless in a city or there's a clear reason for a lower speed limit). Utah and New Mexico are 65.
some New Mexico are 65, others are 55, for no di$cernible rea$on.
US-54, for instance, between Carrizozo and Tularosa, is a vicious speed trap. I saw about six police vehicles in the 45 miles or so of that stretch of road.
QuoteUS-6 tends to be clogged with trucks, for example, between I-70 and Salt Lake City.
US 6 is busy, but there are several passing/climbing lanes all along the corridor, so one can still make pretty good time. Just gotta be patient and wait for one of the additional lane segments.
Quote
QuoteDoes anyone know where the speed limit 80 counties are in TX? If there are any on I-20, we might try to see one west of Dallas, if there is one before US 84.
There are some on 20, but they are west of there, that's for sure. I don't remember exactly where, but they're really out in the sticks.
Only the westernmost 48 miles of I-20 are 80 mph (between I-10 and the Ward County line between Pecos & Monahans).
Fixed quote. -Connor
Quote from: okroads on August 20, 2010, 03:15:50 PM
Quote
QuoteDoes anyone know where the speed limit 80 counties are in TX? If there are any on I-20, we might try to see one west of Dallas, if there is one before US 84.
There are some on 20, but they are west of there, that's for sure. I don't remember exactly where, but they're really out in the sticks.
Only the westernmost 48 miles of I-20 are 80 mph (between I-10 and the Ward County line between Pecos & Monahans).
One problem with the daytime 80mph zones on I-20, and especially I-10 west of the I-20 merge, is that there's enough truck traffic (limited to 70mph) to make it hard for you to do 80mph.
I found the many low-volume 75-mph (daytime) two-lane roads in west Texas to be more helpful than the 80-mph (daytime) Interstates.
US-54 between Carrizozo and Tularosa is a horrible road, as well. Bumpy, falling apart, and inadequate shoulders to safely allow much faster speeds. Once they improve that, I'm sure it will increase.
But, the issue is not necessarily speed limits, but also the blatant lack of civilization that allows long distances of high speed travel that just generally isn't possible in most eastern areas as the rural areas are still inundated with people.
If you were planning to hit the Four-Corners monument and place yourself in 4 different states & 2 different time zones at the same time, I had heard that the monument is under construction and is only accessible during limited hours (mostly on the weekends).
Check ahead in advance before making the off-interstate trip if only to visit the monument.
I can't believe the tolls on the Bay Bridge have gone up to $4 -$6, depending on the day or time. When I was a teenager in the Bay Area the toll was a quarter! That was the 1960's. There was a columnist in the SF Chronicle named Herb Caen who started some sort of informal program of paying fifty cents and then you'd pay for the car in back of you, even if you had no idea of who that was. Made a lot of instant friends for only a quarter.
Made it to DC and back successfully this weekend. Saturday I drove Princeton NJ -> Bethesda MD using 206 and I-95 via the Philly airport, I-495 around Wilmington, and I-695 outer loop around Baltimore (for something different...), with no issues other than construction at the Girard Point Bridge in south Philly and Beltway traffic at the end. There were also serious construction zones for: rebuilding the Delaware Turnpike toll plaza, I-95 northeast of Baltimore for the HOT lanes (and the I-695 interchange), the I-95/Intercounty connector interchange, and also around I-695/I-83 junction. The Maryland work zones (55 for I-95 NE of Baltimore, 65 for the ICC interchange, and 50 on I-695) claimed to be Photo Enforced, and I guess the locals all knew what the tolerance was on the cameras because they were all going the same speed, about 7 over the limit. I-495 in Delaware had a variable speed limit, set to 65 except for the southernmost mile or so which was 55.
Today, I drove from Bethesda to South Kingstown RI. I was tag-teaming with my parents who wanted to stop at the Roebling Museum in NJ [we got there long before it opened, so we didn't actually go...], so I ended up just going up I-95 (I-695 around Baltimore, eastern half this time, for something different), I-295, NJTP, back to I-95, Henry Hudson/Saw Mill Pwky, Cross County, I-287, I-95, RI 138. And that worked out quite well, with about 7 hours of driving time - we left at 8am and there were no major backups at the tolls, other than crawling across the GWB (after the tolls...), and a few touches of I-95 in Norwalk and New Haven. It would not have been worth it to go inland through PA to I-78 or I-84 this morning. I-95 Southbound in CT was jammed for quite a distance though. The big construction zones (which I am sure is well documented here) are the NJTP widening between exits 6 and 8A (it looked like some stretches had a lot of grading complete, but others haven't really been touched) and rebuilding the I-95/I-91/CT-34 interchange and Q Bridge in New Haven. I did notice that the 50 zone around the I-95/I-395 junction has been extended in both directions: formerly limited to the immediate area around the interchange, now it goes from exit 71 (or so) all the way to exit 82A in New London, including stretches that used to be 65 (south of the interchange) and 55 (north). This may be temporary though, because they simply patched new, smaller signs over the old ones. Still a lot of 40mph signs posted just north of New Haven even in the portion that was recently rebuilt. The I-695 loop and Key Bridge east of Baltimore was nearly empty, while the west side had heavier (but flowing) traffic.
Seems like Maryland really likes the massive interchanges with bridges these days, that I got used to seeing in California. They didn't seem too out of place in the Baltimore area. But there's a flyover well underway in New Haven (I-95 north to CT-34, it looked like), that looked very out of place for Connecticut and New Haven.
Police enforcement was heavy in Maryland (especially I-95 between the beltways), but sparse in other states. DC itself was a zoo due to the Glenn Beck/Sarah Palin rally (will not comment on that...). DC Metro was overwhelmed, the GWU station had lines to get in stretching well out onto the streets, and someone on the train said he waited 1hr 45 minutes to get on! Did not help that it was move-in weekend for GWU (which was the reason why I was there in the first place).
Until next weekend! We're definitely planning on going to many places around the 4 corners monument even if the monument itself is closed, and it looks like we will miss the 80mph zones in Texas, but we might encounter the one in Utah. Thanks for all the tips.
QuoteThe Maryland work zones (55 for I-95 NE of Baltimore, 65 for the ICC interchange, and 50 on I-695) claimed to be Photo Enforced, and I guess the locals all knew what the tolerance was on the cameras because they were all going the same speed, about 7 over the limit.
State law sets the "start point" at 12 over the limit in work zones.
QuoteDC itself was a zoo due to the Glenn Beck/Sarah Palin rally (will not comment on that...). DC Metro was overwhelmed, the GWU station had lines to get in stretching well out onto the streets, and someone on the train said he waited 1hr 45 minutes to get on! Did not help that it was move-in weekend for GWU (which was the reason why I was there in the first place).
Because of which, I was basically limited to my apartment and the office (had duty this weekend)...didn't dare go out elsewhere lest I get stuck. Besides move-in weekend and the rallies, SHA had 50 east of the Beltway down to 2 lanes for pavement repair, VDOT had I-66 near the Beltway down to 1 lane for a realignment (related to the Beltway HOT lane project), and 95 south of Springfield is always jammed after about noon.
Well, I just got back to San Diego from my drive yesterday. In total, it was 5829 miles from early evening September 3 to afternoon on September 20. Everything went pretty smoothly. The only spots I hit traffic were the Capital Beltway leading up to I-66, the Smoky Mountains (which I deserved for going there on Labor Day weekend...took like 45 minutes to cross Gatlinburg, which we all expected to be a tiny town with a couple gas stations and a convenience store), pockets of traffic on I-10 from Mobile westward into Mississippi (also Labor Day related), Lafayette (there was an accident), and Houston (construction at the I-10/US 59 interchange). Saw parts of the country I had never been to before, and it was well worth it.
When I drove to Asheville, I approached from the north ("west") on I-26. It was dark so I unfortunately couldn't really see any of the landscape, but I didn't realize that I-26 was still marked as "future" just north of Asheville. But to me, it didn't seem prohibitively substandard or anything, especially compared with the multiplex with I-240. When I-26/I-240 turns off of US-74, the ramp heads to the right and there is a traffic light very soon afterward on the main lanes. Heading west from Asheville, I noticed that I-40 had a couple side streets that just made T intersections with the interstate, even marked with normal street sign blades...! Also: my non-roadgeek friends were amused at multiplexes involving 4 or more routes, especially in NC and GA, and they were utterly bewildered by Business routes, neither of which we really see in the northeast.
I-65 between Montgomery and Mobile is boring on the same level as I-5 in CA between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy. Once we got to Mobile, many of the BGS's were not solid - they were dark green painted steel mesh, similar to open bridge decks. The shields and letters were tacked on. Surely this is done to reduce wind loads in such a high hurricane risk area. But at least one I-165(?) shield already fell off.
Five years after Katrina, there are still quite a few signs of damage around New Orleans. There are abandoned/overgrown houses sporadically interspersed in much of the city, and the lower 9th ward was maybe 20% rebuilt. There were entire grid blocks of razed houses where vegetation was starting to take over the roads.
Texas is big. I-70 in Utah is as nice as people say it is. CA 58 still needs a lot of work if it's ever going to become I-40. I guess I don't have that much to say that isn't already documented.
Quote from: AstareGod on August 18, 2010, 04:15:12 PM
I'm not exactly sure how far along they are with the construction of the I-10 twinspans over Lake Ponchartrain which are situated northwest of New Orleans and south of Slidell. Last I was there was around February of this year, and they had the eastbound side finished but were still working on the westbound side, if I remember correctly.
Looked about the same progress-wise. It was night when we arrived.
Quote from: brownpelican on August 19, 2010, 12:48:20 AM
There was work on I-10 at US 59 that caused big backups in both directions. I'm not sure when they will wrap that up.
It's still there, and there were VMS's warning that I-10 would close completely in both directions during the weekend September 10-12. We went straight through on I-10 a few days earlier, there was probably a 15 minute delay around 3pm on a Thursday, and I-10 westbound had 2 lanes open. The exit to I-610 was backed up so it seemed like lots of people were using that as an alternate.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 19, 2010, 04:08:28 PM
Take one of the more southern Sierra crossings - 120 or 178!
Perhaps next time (okay, there might not be a next time soon, but maybe a shorter trip) - by the time we were getting towards the Sierra's, we had been camping for 4 nights in Utah and just wanted to head for the Bay Area, driving from Zion using I-15, CA 58, CA 99, CA 46, I-5, etc. Google maps said that CA 120 would have only been a half hour shorter but it would have been an extra $20 or so to go through Yosemite, and we had all been to Yosemite before fairly recently.
Quote from: Sykotyk on August 20, 2010, 12:45:05 PM
Here's a tip from someone that's driven out west extensive after being from the east coast. Two lane roads out west are VERY fast moving routes. Much less traveled, much more scenic, and let you get a sense of the small town world the freeways have bypassed. When you leave Dallas, take US287 to US380 (or US70) through Lubbock to Clovis.
Take US84 up to Santa Fe, to the NM502 (through Los Alamos, definitely worth the vista), to US550 toward Farmington to US64 west to US160 in Teec Nos Pos to Four Corners. Go up to US191 to I-70 (through Monticello and Moab. Arches N.P. can be done in a few hours doing a few of the trails, but not the long one to Delicate, only the short one). Go US50 west over the Loneliest Road to Carson City through Lake Tahoe and to Sacramento that way to San Francisco via 80.
So that's not too far from what we ended up doing. We actually didn't stop in Dallas, instead staying with a friend an hour north in Gainesville. From there, we made our way to US 287 through Wichita Falls, and took Texas 86 to US 60 to Clovis, crossing I-27 midway between Amarillo and Lubbock. Through New Mexico we did go through Albuquerque, but then took US 550 toward Farmington, the 4 corners, and up to Arches. The drive from Clovis to Mesa Verde via 4 corners seemed to take forever, and US 64 was pretty congested through Farmington (though, the Walmart helped with camping supplies...). We did the long trail to Delicate Arch and it was definitely one of the trip highlights! Afterwards, we got on I-70 to I-15 to visit Zion, so we were well to the south of I-80. There was a rather large wildfire visible from I-70 and I-15 near their junction.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 20, 2010, 01:34:52 PM
Quote from: citrus on August 20, 2010, 01:04:02 PMDoes anyone know where the speed limit 80 counties are in TX? If there are any on I-20, we might try to see one west of Dallas, if there is one before US 84.
There are some on 20, but they are west of there, that's for sure. I don't remember exactly where, but they're really out in the sticks.
We didn't see any 75 or 80 zones in Texas. If we weren't in the sticks between Wichita Falls and Clovis, then where were we?! (we eventually figured that out in Utah). We didn't see any of the 80 zones on I-15 in Utah either; apparently they are all north of I-70.
Quote from: thenetwork on August 22, 2010, 10:57:31 PM
If you were planning to hit the Four-Corners monument and place yourself in 4 different states & 2 different time zones at the same time, I had heard that the monument is under construction and is only accessible during limited hours (mostly on the weekends).
It was open on a Monday afternoon, with no signs of construction remaining.
And finally:
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 19, 2010, 06:56:14 PM
note that Childress is a well-renowned speed trap.
So I guess I'm an idiot. I was super careful to stick to the posted speed limits in the actual town of Childress, but didn't think it would matter so much outside of the built-up area...and got stopped for 80 in a 70 in Childress County on US 287. The county sheriff marked down "Heavy" for the traffic conditions, which I assume means that there happened to be another car on the road besides his own. Guess I shouldn't have messed with Texas.
Quote from: thenetwork on August 22, 2010, 10:57:31 PM
If you were planning to hit the Four-Corners monument and place yourself in 4 different states & 2 different time zones at the same time, I had heard that the monument is under construction and is only accessible during limited hours (mostly on the weekends).
Check ahead in advance before making the off-interstate trip if only to visit the monument.
But the Four Corners is all the same time zone, isn't it, except during Daylight Savings Time?
Quote from: Michael in Philly on September 21, 2010, 01:41:06 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on August 22, 2010, 10:57:31 PM
If you were planning to hit the Four-Corners monument and place yourself in 4 different states & 2 different time zones at the same time, I had heard that the monument is under construction and is only accessible during limited hours (mostly on the weekends).
Check ahead in advance before making the off-interstate trip if only to visit the monument.
But the Four Corners is all the same time zone, isn't it, except during Daylight Savings Time?
I believe it is on the same time zone year-round.
CO, UT, NM are all on Mountain Time year-round with DST.
In the winter, AZ is on Mountain Time as well.
In the summer, AZ is on Mountain Time without DST, but the land around the 4 corners monument itself is part of the Navajo reservation which observes DST.
In any case, the monument itself operates on Mountain Time with DST. In Zion National Park, almost every clock I saw had a label saying "Mountain Time".