Real Question is How Long Does it Take to Drive Home

[mikec142]

Drove from Central NJ to Saratoga Springs on Wednesday night to stay ahead of the storm and made it in record time. Left SS on Thursday morning with light snow...but after about 10 miles of driving north, we got ahead of the storm and made it to Burlington in close to record time. Skied a couple of fantastic days at Sugarbush. On the way home on Monday I got stuck behind a truck for a bit on 22A South but made decent time overall to Saratoga Springs (quick stop for a late lunch). At around 3:30pm we hit traffic on 87S from exit 18 to just south of exit 17. It was stop and go and never got above 30mph. Been doing this trip to Northern VT on President's Day weekend for a couple of years now and it's the same thing everytime. I'd say that traffic added 30 minutes to our ride.

FWIW, I made the trip from Windham back down 87S to Central NJ the previous weekend with no traffic whatsoever. I feel like it's usually on Summer weekends and holiday weekends. I can't even begin to tell you why it occurs.

 

[VTKilarney]

65 MPH in the no stopping lanes.

I understand that. My question was whether or not this had made a noticeable difference in overall traffic delays in the area of the toll.

 

[billski]

Has the improved EZ-Pass system on I-93 made a difference in backups at the toll booth?

I've had EZ pass for several years now and been using it in NH since they instituted it. If you're in the EZ pass lane, there is hardly ever a backup, maybe 3 or so cars max. They have two at-speed lanes now at the Concord toll. That probably saves me about 45 seconds. The fewer cash /full service lanes seem to have the same backups as before.

 

[Smellytele]

I understand that. My question was whether or not this had made a noticeable difference in overall traffic delays in the area of the toll.

The real backups happen north of the toll. They are caused by the traffic going down to two lanes at the 89/93 junction. Sometimes they end up backing up to the rest area. This is North bound. South bound once you get through Concord it is a lot smoother with the speed lanes

 

[dlague]

Living in central NH traffic is rarely and issue no matter how far I drive unless it is snowing and there are non drivers on the road!

 

[ceo]

I remember when I was a kid, coming back from Cannon Sunday nights, I-93 was always jammed up approaching the I-89 merge. We called it "Jamsville". Since they widened that stretch (sometime in the 80s), it's never been a problem. Most times I've hit traffic have been north of Concord or in the stretch approaching the MA border.

 

[gladerider]

I hit traffic on 87 very often. North bound on Friday after 4pm is not as bad as south bound on Sunday or MLK or President's day Monday. Used to have dinner around Kingston to avoid traffic. If NY state is serious in attracting the winter Olympics, they should expand it to three lanes.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk