The Bennington Bypass

[RossiSkier]

For skiers who travel through New York State into Vermont, there is a new route that opened up this season, the Bennington Bypass. It allows you to drive up NY Rt-7 almost to the Vermont border and take a bypass route to VT-RT 7. This is the road that we use to get to Killington.

Before the bypass was installed, we went up I-87 to Whitehall and took NY-149 into Vermont. It saves about 30-40 minutes from the trip.

Has the Bennington Bypass made anyone else's life easier??

 

[rjc1976]

I ended up on it once by accident on my way to Ludlow about a month ago...it was great! Now if I can only figure out how I got there since last weekend I ended up in Bennington again and ended up making a left at the light to get onto VT Rt 7 North. I'm headed up to Ludlow again this weekend...will keep an eye out for signs.

 

[RossiSkier]

Coming up NY Route 7 just take VT Rt 279 at this sign. You'll be on VT Rt. 7 before you know it. Enjoy Okemo!

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Rossi, I can't believe u had a picture that shows how to get to the bypass :lol:
That's great. Ur are a wealth of info for the users of this forum. Do you think the bypass would save me time coming from Clifton Park and headed to Central Vt. or should I keep using the Northway?

 

[ski_resort_observer]

directions

Hey Rossskier.....unreal pic of the bypass entrance. I hope you don't mind but the other directions you gave are alittle off. I grew up in the Lake George area and my wife is a Rutland(Rutvegas) native. She claims to be the first female lift op at kmart.

When you get off the Northway, after a very short stint on Rt 9 you take Rt 149 to Fort Ann then you get on Rt 4 which takes you thru Whitehall on to Rutland.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Thanks for the info. I was just there last fri but did not know about the bypass. :x

 

[BeanoNYC]

I'm assuming that this won't help us city slickers. Where exacly is this? I usually just head right up I91 on my way to vermont.

 

[tekweezle]

this will help if you are in manhattan and want to take the gwb to 87 north. i believe it is a little faster going the "northway" primarily because it;s straight and you can do about 75-80. watch out for state troopers!

on the plus side, you can fill up with cheap NJ gas if you take 80 to 17 north or the palisades. sometimes the bruckner and the hutchinson/merritt is a mess so it;s good to have an alternate route..

i usually don;t take it though because of the tolls on the NYS thruway. also, if you get a ticket on the thruway it counts.

i hear there is a route using the taconic pkwy that is also supposed to be fast.

 

[rjc1976]

Coming up NY Route 7 just take VT Rt 279 at this sign. You'll be on VT Rt. 7 before you know it. Enjoy Okemo!

I'll give it a shot tonight. Thanks.

 

[RossiSkier]

Do you think the bypass would save me time coming from Clifton Park and headed to Central Vt. or should I keep using the Northway?

The biggest hassell is getting to Rt.7 from C.P. No staight route. Just a bunch of slow county routes. That could take all shortcut out of it. May be faster to go traditional route.

 

[BeanoNYC]

if you get a ticket on the thruway it counts.

You can say that again. I always drive a bit faster when I'm out of the state. I don't mind the ticket ...... it's the insurance hike that pisses me off.

 

[bvibert]

if you get a ticket on the thruway it counts.

You can say that again. I always drive a bit faster when I'm out of the state. I don't mind the ticket ...... it's the insurance hike that pisses me off.

AFAIK most states report tickets back to your state these days, so it still shows up on your record...

 

[tekweezle]

some points that might help you deciding-

if there is a snowstorm coming through depending on whether it tracks west to east across the greatlakes or south to north like in a nor easter, you might want to plan your route according to which path is not innudiated with snow. sometimes the snow storm could miss one of the routes or pass by it allowing the road crews to go to work.

i trust the NYS thruway in snowy conditions because it;s straight and the snow plows do an excellent job. i do hate the tolls though. also, going through jersey on sundays is pretty clear because the malls are closed.

if it;s clear, i usually take the merritt to 91. it;s a windy road but atleast you don;t have to deal with the comercial traffic on 95. if it;s snowy though, I take 95.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

i hear there is a route using the taconic pkwy that is also supposed to be fast.

I tried that route this year a few times and found that it took about 10-20 minutes longer to get to our house 15 mins south of Sugarbush. Taconic to the 2nd to last exit (Rt 495) to Rt 22 north for a looooong time. To Rt 22A and then some back roads to Rt 4. From there, you can either go through Rutland (for K and Pico) or go around and get to 100 via the Brandon Gap Rt 73. I've found that even though it's more direct, you simply lose too much time in the various towns you pass through on Rt 22, especially Hoosic Falls. Hate that place.

I'm wondering if the Bennington Bypass might be a better way to go and perhaps save some time on this western route. We usually go 91>89>107> back roads>100.

 

[Xcountry]

Taconic Route to Vermont

Go Taconic to the next to last exit before it ends (295)
Take 295 (east) to NY 22 (look for a little backroad shortcut by Quechee Lake - left turn off 295, then left again on 22)
Watch your speed on 295
Go north on 22 to NY 7
Go NY 7 east (right turn) until you hit the Bennington Bypass 279
279 connects you to US 7 north to ski areas

Stop around the Bennington exits for pit stops, gas, food. easy on/off. cheap gas, good eats. Bennington's a nice little town. There's not much in service on this route until you hit Bennington. I like Carmody's on Main St in Benn. Great Muligatawny Soup and burgers. The Rattlesnake Cafe for Mex. Oh - or try the Blue Benn Diner

Note the difference between NY 7 which is an east-west road in NYS that turns into VT Route 9 when you hit the border.
US 7 is a north-south road runing thru MA-VT.

 

[thetrailboss]

Welcome to the boards, Xcountry. Hope to see you in here often. :wink:

 

[Brettski]

I always took 4 all the way to whitehall

Could make Rutland from the Oranges in NJ in 4 hours flat..that wa in a Jetta 5 speed though...now it's a minivan

 

[hunter782]

Hungry

If you use the Bypass to get to 7 North, Don't wait to manchester to eat. There is an outstanding Restaurant on the outskirts of Bennington. After getting back on 7, get off on exit 2. Take a left so that you are headed south back into Bennington, and about 1/4 mile from exit 2 there will be a restaurant on your right. It's a big red barn, Hunter's An American Grill, which also features The Lucky Labrador Tavern. It's open 7 days a week. The ambiance and cuisine is far better then any place in Manchester. www.huntersamericangrill.com
802-442-7500

 

[JimG.]

This thread gets my vote for best info of the 04-05 ski season. Used the bypass on my trip to MRG/Sugarbush last week and it cut at least 30 minutes off of my drive time each way. Kudos Rossi!

 

[Brettski]

OK, so what would be the fastest way to smugglers?

I got a run on 4/2