Mid-Atlantic - NYS Thruway vs. Tappan Zee/Sawmill/Taconic next weekend?

I have two options to get myself north to New Lebanon, NY. My normal route would be the Thruway, but I am hearing things about construction on that road right now. Then again, I am also hearing things about construction delays on the Tappan Zee. I haven't been on either one since April, so I don't know what's going on up there now.

Suggestions?

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Umm, the Tappan Zee is part of the Thruway; the Saw Mill and Taconic are not.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Umm, the Tappan Zee is part of the Thruway; the Saw Mill and Taconic are not.

I'm talking about taking the Thruway north up the west side of the Hudson (then heading east on the I-90 spur just south of Albany) vs. taking the TZ/Saw Mill/Taconic up the east side to get to New Lebanon.

I will be coming from the GS Parkway, so I can essentially turn either left or right when I hit the Thruway; normally I find the Thruway route a little faster. Just checking now on the issues of construction on the TZ and construction on the Thruway northbound.

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OK; your OP did not indicate where you were starting from.

I think that the best course of action is just to listen to the traffic reports on WCBS-AM or WINS on the day of your trip, and listen for traffic conditions for the Westchester-bound Tappan Zee, or for the North-bound Thruway. I'm not sure if the Thruway's own website provides current traffic conditions or advisories, but that is another resource you might check on the day of travel.

What section of the Thruway is said to be under construction? Would taking the Palisades North and US-6 West over to Harriman avoid the section in question?

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

It looks like the Thruway's website does list the days and hours of scheduled lane closures (including those on the Tappan Zee and on the Cross-Westchester Expressway). Just Google "NYS Thruway construction" for the link.

It looks like the Thruway's website does list the days and hours of scheduled lane closures (including those on the Tappan Zee and on the Cross-Westchester Expressway). Just Google "NYS Thruway construction" for the link.

Thanks, that is helpful. Their website is fairly cryptic but I think I can figure out what they're talking about (although I do not have the mile marker locations memorized!)

I think I might do the whole thing on the Thruway north. My friend who lives in Tarrytown is saying dire things about the Tappan Zee.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

The intersection of the GSP connector and the Thruway is (roughly) MP 23; Suffern -- Exit 15 -- is MP 30; Harriman -- Exit 16 -- is MP 45; and Newburgh -- Exit 17 -- is MP 60.

If you're starting out from south of Paramus, you can take Route 17 North from Paramus, and enter the Thruway at Suffern. And, as previously mentioned, you can take the Palisades and US-6 to enter the Thruway at Harriman.

Safe travels.

The intersection of the GSP connector and the Thruway is (roughly) MP 23; Suffern -- Exit 15 -- is MP 30; Harriman -- Exit 16 -- is MP 45; and Newburgh -- Exit 17 -- is MP 60.
Thanks for that. I am coming from Delaware, so in a pinch I can skip the Parkway altogether and wind my way from Trenton to 287 on Rte. 206, which is about the same level of unpleasantness as Rte. 17 from Paramus. I'llmake a decision on the fly, I guess, based on traffic.

The Taconic is a parkway that goes up and down and winds around hills. You will be using your breaks often because of it's not a straight shot north. It's certainly pretty and bathroom visits will involve you driving a few miles from any exit to the nearest town in search of a Starbucks or a fast food joint. Unfortunately, the Tappan Zee could be bumper-to-bumper.

The Thruway north (87), like the Taconic, is a two lanes each way but it's a straight shot and easy to drive. If you're driving on a Friday afternoon/evening, the traffic will be bad especially before Labor Day weekend. There are rest stops every 20-30 miles.

Use your GPS on your smartphone to see the traffic situation so you can make an informed decision.

I did end up taking the Thruway north the whole way and avoiding the TZ/Taconic. It worked well. We didn't hit any traffic to speak of, and the Thruway construction was minimal. On the way back down, I was in terror of the NJ Turnpike southbound traffic between exits 9 and 6, which due to endless construction has been horrific for the last two years running. So I jumped off the Thruway and onto I-287 south at Mahwah. For me, that route involves a fairly obnoxious connector on NJ 206 between Somerville and Trenton, where I pick up I-95, but amazingly, it took exactly the same amount of time as the Turnpike/GS Parkway/Thruway North route on the way up.

On the way back down, I was in terror of the NJ Turnpike southbound traffic between exits 9 and 6, which due to endless construction has been horrific for the last two years running. So I jumped off the Thruway and onto I-287 south at Mahwah. For me, that route involves a fairly obnoxious connector on NJ 206 between Somerville and Trenton, where I pick up I-95, but amazingly, it took exactly the same amount of time as the Turnpike/GS Parkway/Thruway North route on the way up.Rt 206 — endless traffic lights and strip malls. Traffic headache.

The Taconic is a parkway that goes up and down and winds around hills. You will be using your breaks often because of it's not a straight shot north. It's certainly pretty and bathroom visits will involve you driving a few miles from any exit to the nearest town in search of a Starbucks or a fast food joint.



I know I'm late here but...

The Taconic is a nice parkway as long as you do the posted speed limit +5. The NY State Police are all over this road. They constantly surprise me ( a long time driver of this road) with new places to catch you speeding. Recently, they've been out in the open. :eek:

Because this is an old parkway (same for the Merritt in Conn), the curves seem to scare some people away. This is what makes these parkways fun to drive. Let's face it, it's not Indy.

As for food and bathrooms, the TSP can be driven from top to bottom in 110 - 115 minutes at 60 mph. Towards the northern terminus, there's a gas station and diner on the right side of the road (in the Chatham area). From here, it's another 5 minutes or so to I-90. If anyone is headed west towards Albany, there are plenty of places to eat. If you're headed to MASS (east), I want to wish you well. ;)