Best way to Killington in traffic

[Richm20]

Normally I come from Long Island
Ok, I usually take 95 to the hutch to 684 to 84 to 91 etc.
Tomorrow I'm leaving from Penn Station at around 4:30, I know that I should take the tunnel to 95 to 17 to 87 but I'm afraid of traffic on 17 and the Thruway down south.
Would anyone recommend taking the tri borough out of NYC and then continue my usual way?
Thanks
:dunce:

 

[Brn4353]

I was at K-mart last saturday.. I heard someone say about the skiing "It's like driving in the city". For me, traffic TO the mountain is sometimes easier than the gridlock ON it. It's getting later in the season, so hopefully crowds will calm down. Drive safe and Have fun!

 

[Richm20]

I ski K every weekend and some mid weeks. If you know how to get around, you can avoid the crowds. NEVER ride the gondola on a Sat afternooon!

 

[wintersyndrome]

The Merrit PKWY (CT's extension of the Hutch) can be a good alternative if you hit it after traffic It'll take you right to 91

 

[kcyanks1]

Normally I come from Long Island
Ok, I usually take 95 to the hutch to 684 to 84 to 91 etc.
Tomorrow I'm leaving from Penn Station at around 4:30, I know that I should take the tunnel to 95 to 17 to 87 but I'm afraid of traffic on 17 and the Thruway down south.
Would anyone recommend taking the tri borough out of NYC and then continue my usual way?
Thanks
:dunce:

I'd probably take the Willis Ave Bridge and then 87 passed Albany to exit 20 on the Northway, 149 east, Rt 4 east. (I can give better directions but I figure you know the route). Alternatively you can take the Willis Ave. Bridge to 87 to the cross county parkway to the Hutch and county with your normal route. I would not take the triborough -- why pay the toll, wait on the line for the toll, and deal with 2 separate bridges when you can just take a single bridge for free (Willis Ave.)?

 

[kcyanks1]

I'd probably take the Willis Ave Bridge and then 87 passed Albany to exit 20 on the Northway, 149 east, Rt 4 east. (I can give better directions but I figure you know the route). Alternatively you can take the Willis Ave. Bridge to 87 to the cross county parkway to the Hutch and county with your normal route. I would not take the triborough -- why pay the toll, wait on the line for the toll, and deal with 2 separate bridges when you can just take a single bridge for free (Willis Ave.)?

Actually, I was wondering why you would take the Hutch to 684? Instead consider: from Penn Station you can take the 12th Avenue/the West Side Highway/Henry Hudson, continue north passed the GW, go over the Henry Hudson Bridge, go onto the Saw Mill (same road, new name). You can take the Saw Mill all the way to 684 just before the 84 interchange, or instead you can take the Saw Mill to 287, go east a bit, and then get on 684 down there. That said, I'd definitely still just take 87.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

684 to the Merrit is a much better route or the NYS Thruway then cut over into Rutland......95N is jammed from the Cross Bronx to Stamford that time of day....anyway you can leave work like at 3:30, that will save you hours of sitting in traffic.....I left LI last Friday night at 7:30 and was in heavy (20mph) traffic from the Crossbronx to Norwalk....

 

[kcyanks1]

684 to the Merrit is a much better route or the NYS Thruway then cut over into Rutland......95N is jammed from the Cross Bronx to Stamford that time of day....anyway you can leave work like at 3:30, that will save you hours of sitting in traffic.....I left LI last Friday night at 7:30 and was in heavy (20mph) traffic from the Crossbronx to Norwalk....

You wouldn't take 684 to the Merritt. The Merrit runs further east then 684, closer to I-95. There is a connector between the Merritt and I-95 a little south of New Haven (around Milford) and thus a little south of the I-95/I-91 interchange. Alternatively the Merritt (Rt 15) changes names but continues on to I-91 north of New Haven. It is possibly to get to Killington using the Merrit and taking 91 north up to VT.

684 instead is further west, closer to the Hudson. It runs north parallel to the Saw Mill to Brewster, where you can get to 84, at a point well west of where the Merrit is at that latitude. You can take 84 to 91 and then take that up to VT.

I'd still do the NYS thruway route over either of the above


Edit: I realized you may have been talking about taking the Hutchinson Parkway from the Bronx to Westchester to 684 (the Hutch and 684 come together around I-287). The Hutch becomes the Merritt once you enter CT. If you were using "Merritt" to mean the Hutch, I just got confused based on the names, especially since taking the Merritt is a theoretically possible, though not the best, route. Sorry if this was the case.

 

[MRGisevil]

Personally, wouldn't even touch the Merritt from 4:30-6:30 on a Friday afternoon... or ANY afternoon for that matter.

 

[billski]

secrets

I ski K every weekend and some mid weeks. If you know how to get around, you can avoid the crowds. NEVER ride the gondola on a Sat afternooon!

keeping your secrets close, eh?

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

i meant the Hutch to Merrit (at the 684 split) you could just do 684 to 84 to 91...the Merritt can get jammed and its only 2 lanes, so if there is an accident, you have no where to go...stay away from 95 (NY/Southern CT) 684 to 84 to 91 might be longer, but you'll be moving, i go that way depending on the time of night i'm leaving the island

 

[kcyanks1]

Personally, wouldn't even touch the Merritt from 4:30-6:30 on a Friday afternoon... or ANY afternoon for that matter.

I agree.. 95 is probably even worse, though, if you are stuck going into CT in that direction.

 

[Grassi21]

The Merrit PKWY (CT's extension of the Hutch) can be a good alternative if you hit it after traffic It'll take you right to 91

I was thinking the same thing. Hutch > 684 > 84 > 91 seems roundabout, but I guess it works.

 

[2knees]

I was thinking the same thing. Hutch > 684 > 84 > 91 seems roundabout, but I guess it works.

just a throw in here. If you do this one above, do 684>84>691>91. 691 lets you skip 84 through hartford. 91 north through hartford doesnt get backed up much.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

I have driven on 95 and the Merritt everyday for the last few yrs, the Merritt will have traffic backing up and starting at exit 35 in Stamford thru the Norwalk exits, then will clear up and be slow again from the no exit zone in Fairfield past trumbull to about where route 8 is. The backups start at 330pm.. 95 will be Screwed from Stamford-NOrwalk, clear up a little bit for 5miles and once again suck all the way to Bridgeport, once again after 330 or so.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

just a throw in here. If you do this one above, do 684>84>691>91. 691 lets you skip 84 through hartford. 91 north through hartford doesnt get backed up much.

I also like this idea, no traffic on 691, and onlynear the danbury mall til about exit 7 where the route 7 connector is will u have traffic on 84 even in rush hour..