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Traffic Alert I80 across PA

sheridesabeemer

I Used to Be Someone
For those of you doing last minute planning to get from New England to Lima, do what you can to avoid I80 across PA, it's a mess. It's littered with construction projects, especially West of 81. Lane reductions causing stoppages are plentiful. I lost maybe 2 hours getting to the Solstice via 80.

If you need to make time getting to OH, I90 is a much better alternative. The NY TRWY is expensive but has excellent services available at regular intervals and the hwy itself is in good shape. It's a bit expensive, $11.60 Buffalo to Albany but $3/hr is worth it on a long day.

Of course if you have the luxury of time to avoid the interstates, all the more power to you.
 
take beautiful Rt 6 (aka "slowest road in america") and just pretend there's no such thing as a "speed limit" or "law enforcement" then try scenic rt 62 (known locally as "way slower than rt 6") to get over to rt 30 in ohio, which after crossing PA on the aforementioned roads seems real fast
 
Rt 6 slowest....

Bubba, what is typical speed on Rt6 in PA? Planning on riding it in Aug on trip east to see family.
 
i can't remember exactly, i just recall there being lots of small towns with absurdly low "pass through" speeds, lots of LEO's. all i know is that it took a day of fairly hard riding to go from the catskills to the edge of the alageney forrest which isn't that great of a distance. but then again, a hard day last fall (when i was just starting my trip) and a hard day now are two very different things to me
 
another alternative.

in between I90 and I80 is I86. this runs from binghampton ny to Erie pa. It is not as widely used as the others and you can make pretty good time on the way west. I used to drive it all the time for work, and it was deserted most of the time.
 
Alternate Routes

lorazepam said:
in between I90 and I80 is I86. this runs from binghampton ny to Erie pa. It is not as widely used as the others and you can make pretty good time on the way west. I used to drive it all the time for work, and it was deserted most of the time.


I80 was the simplest "high speed, low drag" option for me traveling from CT. What do others think of the I81 South to I70 West option? I wonder if traveling at night on I80 might work. So far AAA hasn't been much help. They continue to tout I80 as the "best" choice. Thoughts?
Muchas Gracias
 
I80

SheRidesABeemer said:
Here is a traffic site for I80. Or call 1-888-783-6783.

Thanks Gail,
Since I have limited time on the way out to Lima, I think I'll try 84 to 81 to 70 to get through PA. I may try the scenic route on the way home.
cheers,
 
I-80

stop at the Twilight Diner exit 185 Loganton, PA. Very nice only thinkg at the exit, EZ on and off. Try the teaberry icecream.. gas on opposite side john shuck :)
 
I'm riding in from Central NJ. As I study the map, it is apparent that making some time across Ohio is a problem if you try crossing from PA anywhere other than I-80 or I-70 because nothing speedy runs parallel in between those two roads. I figured to run I-78 West to I-81 past Harrisburg and pick up I-76 until it splits off to I-70 for the run across the state line. After that it looks like about 200 miles to go and I can do that at a more leisurely pace. I'd like to cover that in about 6-8 hours. Anybody know the good roads from there to Lima?
 
lorazepam said:
in between I90 and I80 is I86. this runs from binghampton ny to Erie pa. It is not as widely used as the others and you can make pretty good time on the way west. I used to drive it all the time for work, and it was deserted most of the time.
Isn't I-86 the Southern Tier Expressway... and it's concrete slabs?? You get to listen to (and feel)ThumpThump.............. Thumpthump...........thumpthump, the whole way across the state.. NOT pleasant. and hypnotic enough to put someone to sleep!!
 
Callmethebreeze said:
I80 was the simplest "high speed, low drag" option for me traveling from CT. What do others think of the I81 South to I70 West option? I wonder if traveling at night on I80 might work. So far AAA hasn't been much help. They continue to tout I80 as the "best" choice. Thoughts?
Muchas Gracias
Take 84S to Scranton, then 309 to I78 to Harrrisburgh, after that you can pick up the Penn Turnpike..

84 Comes out of Hartford Doesn't it??
 
itsbob said:
Isn't I-86 the Southern Tier Expressway... and it's concrete slabs?? You get to listen to (and feel)ThumpThump.............. Thumpthump...........thumpthump, the whole way across the state.. NOT pleasant. and hypnotic enough to put someone to sleep!!

Depends on where you are on it. Some concrete, some asphalt. I just dont like to pay tolls to ride on the road, and it is an uncrowded route to take.
 
Quickest route from Youngstown to Lima?

SheRidesABeemer said:
For those of you doing last minute planning to get from New England to Lima, do what you can to avoid I80 across PA, it's a mess. It's littered with construction projects, especially West of 81. Lane reductions causing stoppages are plentiful. I lost maybe 2 hours getting to the Solstice via 80./

/Of course if you have the luxury of time to avoid the interstates, all the more power to you.

Gail,Thank you for mentioning this.
I do not have enough time for a scenic ride and need to make the trip to Lima the quickest way possible. I would have rode I-80 if I hadn't see this topic.

My tenative route is over the Hudson river at the tapanzee bridge, down I-287, across I-78/81 to I-76,the Penn tpke.
Tolls will be less of a bother this time, I finally sprung for an ezpass :thumb

I need route advice on the quickest way from I-76 in the Youngstown vicinity to Lima.

Thanks, Bill
Edit;
After I posted I went back to the map and it would appear that taking I-70 to Columbus and then Route 33 towards Lima might be a better choice ? :dunno
 
Last edited:
Bill D said:
Gail,Thank you for mentioning this.
I do not have enough time for a scenic ride and need to make the trip to Lima the quickest way possible. I would have rode I-80 if I hadn't see this topic.

My tenative route is over the Hudson river at the tapanzee bridge, down I-287, across I-78/81 to I-76,the Penn tpke.
Tolls will be less of a bother this time, I finally sprung for an ezpass :thumb

I need route advice on the quickest way from I-76 in the Youngstown vicinity to Lima.

Thanks, Bill
Edit;
After I posted I went back to the map and it would appear that taking I-70 to Columbus and then Route 33 towards Lima might be a better choice ? :dunno


Hey why not take US224 across to Findlay and then south on I75? it is good road, plenty of places to pass and you can average good time.
 
lorazepam said:
Hey why not take US224 across to Findlay and then south on I75? it is good road, plenty of places to pass and you can average good time.

Let me see, *looks at the map*, He likes it! Hey Mikey! ;)
Since I'm not familliar with Ohio I wasn't sure if i could make good time on the local roads. Even better is that i'll spend some time off the interstate for a spell.

Thank You Gale. it looks like you saved me a bunch of time :clap
 

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