I-95 Alternatatives in FL and GA

[1995hoo]

I will advise you to take SR-9A around the east side of JAX instead of going through on I-95. It saves at least 15 minutes and is a much easier drive. Plus you get to drive over a cool bridge.

I'll second this (just watch out for the signage @ I-95 Exit #362, "FL-9A South" might in the future be renumbered as "I-295 Beltway East").  It's also 9 miles shorter than current I-295 (Future name: I-295 Beltway West).

I-295: 35 Miles
FL-9A: 26 Miles
I-95: 25 Miles

Thanks. I kind of doubt it will be renumbered between now and Christmas, but I suppose you never know. Insofar as I'm aware it's the same interchange as I-295, just an earlier ramp, correct?

Only reasons we might not go that way are (a) if we visit our friend on the west side of the Jacksonville area, as noted above; or (b) if I decide I should nip off the piece of I-95 between University Boulevard and the southern FL-9A exit. That's one of four pieces of I-95 that's keeping me from a clinch (there; the part between I-4 and the Bee Line; the part between Fort Pierce and the Golden Glades Interchange; and everything north of the I-395 exit in Maine). But since I don't foresee completing the Maine portion or the "south of Fort Pierce" portion any time soon, I imagine I wouldn't bother.

[realjd]

I will advise you to take SR-9A around the east side of JAX instead of going through on I-95. It saves at least 15 minutes and is a much easier drive. Plus you get to drive over a cool bridge.

I'll second this (just watch out for the signage @ I-95 Exit #362, "FL-9A South" might in the future be renumbered as "I-295 Beltway East").  It's also 9 miles shorter than current I-295 (Future name: I-295 Beltway West).

I-295: 35 Miles
FL-9A: 26 Miles
I-95: 25 Miles

Thanks. I kind of doubt it will be renumbered between now and Christmas, but I suppose you never know. Insofar as I'm aware it's the same interchange as I-295, just an earlier ramp, correct?

Only reasons we might not go that way are (a) if we visit our friend on the west side of the Jacksonville area, as noted above; or (b) if I decide I should nip off the piece of I-95 between University Boulevard and the southern FL-9A exit. That's one of four pieces of I-95 that's keeping me from a clinch (there; the part between I-4 and the Bee Line; the part between Fort Pierce and the Golden Glades Interchange; and everything north of the I-395 exit in Maine). But since I don't foresee completing the Maine portion or the "south of Fort Pierce" portion any time soon, I imagine I wouldn't bother.

Yep, same interchange on both sides. 295 and 9A are a continuous beltway. They just haven't gotten around to renumbering the newly completed eastern side yet.

[Alps]

If 95 locks down, jump onto 301, which is often right there as a frontage road down through NC and SC.

[rickmastfan67]

I will advise you to take SR-9A around the east side of JAX instead of going through on I-95. It saves at least 15 minutes and is a much easier drive. Plus you get to drive over a cool bridge.

I'll second this (just watch out for the signage @ I-95 Exit #362, "FL-9A South" might in the future be renumbered as "I-295 Beltway East").  It's also 9 miles shorter than current I-295 (Future name: I-295 Beltway West).

I-295: 35 Miles
FL-9A: 26 Miles
I-95: 25 Miles

Thanks. I kind of doubt it will be renumbered between now and Christmas, but I suppose you never know. Insofar as I'm aware it's the same interchange as I-295, just an earlier ramp, correct?

Correct.  The FL-9A ramp (Exit #362A) going SB on I-95 use to be the 2nd ramp right after I-295 South's ramp (Exit #362B).  Now going SB on I-95, FL-9A is first (still the same exit #) after they built the new flyover for that movement replacing the old 360 loop which was a NIGHTMARE to travel not only because of the slow speed, but the very short merge lane once you completed the loop.

StreetView shows the new signage (and FL-9A's new flyover) already, so you can at least be prepared for that interchange's re-configuration since you were last there.
http://g.co/maps/b95zp

[1995hoo]

The last time I drove through there heading south was actually December 2007 going from the airport into the city on a trip to the Gator Bowl, but I was more interested in the rental car (a Prius) than the road. (In 1991 as a student with no money and ample time I drove the whole way, but for the 1-1-2008 game it was much easier to fly.) Went through in the other direction earlier this year coming up I-295, so I didn't get to notice the configuration. Thanks to all for the tips about that.

[Eth]

I have a feeling my wife quite understandably won't be willing to put up with going around via Atlanta because it adds at least 200 miles over the direct I-95/I-295 route, but the notion of taking US-29 down through Lynchburg to Greensboro, then I-85 to I-77 to I-26, has crossed my mind because that's only 50 miles further.

While I've never had a need to go directly to Florida from your neck of the woods, I have performed numerous DC-to-Atlanta runs and can vouch for US-29 down to Greensboro as a good option.  Loads better than either I-95 or I-81.

[DeaconG]

The only problem I can think of on I-95 will be between SR 406 and the Beachline where six laning construction is in progress, you may have a bit of a bottleneck there but it will clear up once you get south of the Beachline.

I will third the advice to take SR 9A around Jacksonville, the Dames Point bridge is magnificent!

[Jim]

While I've never had a need to go directly to Florida from your neck of the woods, I have performed numerous DC-to-Atlanta runs and can vouch for US-29 down to Greensboro as a good option.  Loads better than either I-95 or I-81.

We often stop to visit friends outside Leesburg, VA, on our rides between the northeast and SW Florida, so we've done US 15/US 29 as an alternate to I-95 several times.  It's usually been good, but the propagation of long-cycle traffic lights along US 15 in northern VA and similar growth on US 29 north of Charlottesville have made this a less-desirable option in recent years.  Even so, the majority of the route is still an enjoyable ride on rural 4-lane roads.  A whole different experience than the madhouse of I-95 or the dangerous mix of speedy cars and slow trucks on I-81.

[Jim]

This thread seems like the ideal place for a question that's been running around in my mind lately involving Christmastime traffic on I-95.

...

We've done a lot of Christmas week drives over the last several years along and near I-95 and I don't recall it being any worse over the holiday period than it is any other time.  Things in general on I-95 have improved a lot since Georgia completed the 6 laning.  The 6 to 4 merges and the long construction zones were always bad news.  When I-95 has been slow any time of year, we've had very good luck with US 17 between Savannah and Yulee.  The only place that it slows down is in Brunswick, and the excellent bridge there makes that worth a bit of a delay.

We did 301 northbound from Baldwin to Orangeburg 5 or 6 years ago and that was good, too.  Feels a lot more like the deep south than the areas most people see within a mile of I-95's exits, that's for sure.  But we were coming from 301 up through Starke anyway, so we didn't have to swing west to make this happen.   However, we often take 301 and A1A to swing northwest of JAX and like it a lot better than I-95, I-295, and I-10.