rufus102

I'm going to be in Westerly, RI on Friday around 5pm - leaving for Atlantic City.

I would appreciate some local knowledge/tips/advice for my route.

Here are the "legs" I see:

1. I-95 all the way to the Garden St Pkwy
2. I-95 RI to I-287
3. I-95 to RT 9 to I-84 to I-684 to I-287
4. I-287 to the Garden St Pkwy.

So my choices are:
1.
2/4
3/4
other?

I came up with 3, because of I-95 shenanigans in Branford/Fairfield Ct
I figure 1 is a killer because of the Bronx (and aforementioned shenanigans).

Thoughts?

P.S. I already got killed for going to AC in another thread, so save it.

Thank You.

Analise

Pay attention to the traffic reports as there are many ways you can go from Westchester through to New Jersey. First off, in CT you can take the Merritt instead of 95 of traffic backs up on the CT Turnpike.

Once in Westchester, you can take 95/Merritt (Merritt becomes the Hutch in NY) to 287 West, across the Tappan Zee, to the GSP.

You can take the Merritt/Hutch to the Cross County, to 87 South, to the GWB, to 95 (NJ Turnpike) to GSP.

You can take 95 to the GWB and follow as above.

Whichever you choose, base it on the traffic reports which you can hear every 3-4 minutes on the radio.

rufus102

You prefer GWB to Tappan Zee?
I'm not a big fan of the Merritt with it's two lanes and twisty turny. Hard to pass. I gather you don't like option 3?

mbreuer

Given the time of day/day of week, I'd probably go for the Tappan Zee over the GWB, then to the GSP. For a shorter (distance) option with a big chance of more traffic, take the palisades parkway to the NJ turnpike to the GSP.

If you do take the GWB, then stick with the turnpike->exit 11->GSP. There are new express ezpass lanes on the Turnpike (18W) and GSP (Raritan) which should help ... I assume you have EZPass.

Either way, do NOT use 287 to the GSP ... typically lots of traffic, construction, and it should add about 15-20 mi to your trip.

As has been mentioned, listen to traffic reports and adjust accordingly.

Analise

Yes if I were going to South Jersey, I prefer the Tappan Zee. Now of course that means nothing if one is better than the other due to construction, accidents, or whatever traffic nightmare might be out there.

As for option 3, unless you know that both the CT Turnpike and the Merritt are backed up for miles, I would not go north to go west to go south.

climbermom

I would follow the advice and listen for traffic reports to decide between the Merritt and the CT turnpike. You will be going against traffic on this leg. On a Friday night, I would avoid the GWB no matter what time. You should arrive at the TZB late enough to have missed the commute traffic there.

wahooflyer

95 does not connect with the Cross County. The Cross County's eastern terminus is at the Hutchinson River Parkway.

Because of its connection with the Cross County, the Merritt/Hutch has a huge advantage over I-95 when heading from CT to NJ. I used to make the drive from Connecticut to EWR all the time, and found that the following route is almost always fastest:

1) Follow I-95 south/west past New Haven and exit at the Milford Parkway, which will dump you on the Merritt Parkway westbound/southbound.
2) The Merritt will turn into the Hutch once you enter NY State.
3) Exit at the Cross County westbound (stay left) and follow the Cross County to its end at the Saw Mill/Henry Hudson Parkway.
4) Take the Saw Mill/Henry Hudson southbound, pay the $1.75 toll, and get off at the GW Bridge exit.
5) This entrance will put you on the upper level of the bridge. Stay to the right once you cross the span and exit at US 1/9/46.
6) Follow US 46 westbound through parts of Fort Lee and Ridgefield - no traffic lights, cheap gas if you need to fill up, and a couple of miles shorter than staying on 95 after the bridge.
7) Take the NJ Turnpike southbound to the Garden State Parkway southbound.

The biggest timesaver here is the Henry Hudson Parkway approach to the George Washington Bridge. I-95 (Cross Bronx) and I-87 (Deegan) are frequently backed up leading to the bridge, while even at peak hours I've never encountered any congestion on the Henry Hudson. Well worth the toll.

Analise

Whoa, thank you for catching that. I just edited my original post. ^

rufus102

Thank you for suggestions.

Here is my intended route.

I-95 (this may become Merritt in Milford is I here 95 south in Fairfield County is crappy)
I-287 (if still on 95)
Hutch
Cross County
Saw Mill/Henry Hudson
GWB
1/9/46 (thanks for this tip)
NJ Tpk
GS Pkwy

Backup Plan if GWB is shot is to take Tappan Zee to Palisades Pkwy

No - I don't hve EZpass, because every time I think of it, it either WHEN I'm travelling or two days before.

I should sign up now for next time I suppose.

(Edit)
For best traffic updates - 1010wins?
In CT? Even though I live here, I never found a decent update. 99.9 claims to have frequent updates, but they repeat the same old stuff each time. yes, for the 1 millionth time the Merritt is slow through the no-exit zone. (I don't even know where that is! lol)

Analise

The best is when they give you reports of the areas pertaining to your trip!! ^ Here's the schedule in New York:

1010 WINS on the 1s
1130 Bloomberg on the 5s
880 CBS on the 8s.

When you get into New Jersey, you can check out 101.5 FM as they have traffic every 15 minutes (:03, :18, :33, :48). They cover the entire state.

wahooflyer

If you decide to sign up for an E-ZPass after your upcoming trip, get a Delaware-issued E-ZPass. The Port Authority of NY/NJ charges a $1.00 monthly fee just for the privilege of holding the pass; Delaware charges no fees and if you need customer service, an agent will answer on the first or second ring.

And no, you don't have to live in Delaware to obtain a Delaware E-ZPass; all E-ZPasses work at all E-ZPass toll facilities, with the exception of parking lots at JFK/LGA/EWR (for now you need a NY Thruway or Port Authority-issued E-ZPass - "E-ZPass Plus" to pay for parking at the airports).

http://www.ezpassde.com/