Originally Posted by cordelli
If your goal is 84 I wouldn't go near the TZ bridge. Take the throughway north to exit 17 and get on 84 there, and take that to Boston. Once you get to the area of the TZ bridge I find any route is about the same, George Washington to the parkways to the Merritt to Rt 8 to 84 in Waterbury, or TX to 684 to 84, etc.
I beg to differ. I commute regularly from Boston to New Jersey, where I have two brothers with their families, one of my two sons, and until last year a GF. Going up the Thruway to I-84 adds nearly 40 miles to the trip, and 84 itself to Hartford is often a mess. (It has a dozen or more truck climbing lanes up long hills, nearly all of which merge back into the main roadway at the top of the hill when the trucks are going their slowest rather than giving them some room to accelerate down the other side before the truck lane ends. That by itself is enough to wreck a highway, but it's not the only problem on that stretch of 84. Fortunately, the part between Hartford and the Mass. Pike is much better designed.)
I agree with the TZ unless you're there at a really bad time such as morning rush hour, in which case going north to 84 is the only way to avoid the NYC area. If you do take that route, avoid Hartford by getting off 84 at I-691 (exit 27, I think) and taking it to the end where you pick up I-91 north. Take exit 30 (I think; there's a sign) off 91 toward Boston. It puts you onto 84 well the other side of Hartford.
If you need a food stop, I recommend Rein's Deli in Vernon, not far past Hartford. Take I-84 exit 65 and follow State Route 30 until you see it on your left, in a strip mall at a traffic light. You get back on the highway at exit 66.
As for construction and weather problems mentioned in other posts: tune in WINS, 1010 AM, for traffic reports at :01, :11, :21 and so on. They generally go as far out of NYC as the TZ and southern Connecticut if there are any problems to report there.