Driving Mass. to NJ on Friday
 

Heading to somewhat northern NJ on Friday (near Morristown). Expect to hit NY around 2ish. I am weary of taking 95 at all and am debating taking 84 to 287 instead and crossing the Tappen Zee. Is this too out of the way? All trip planning sites, including AAA put me on 95 and then 287. I'm just afraid of traffic near NYC on a summer Friday afternoon.

Most of the mapping programs do send you down 95 - they are wrong.

Depending on where you are starting in Mass. Mass Pike to 84 to 287, following signs for first White Plains and then Tappan Zee Bridge. Garden State Parkway (signs well marked) to whatever road you take heading west towards Morristown - I do not remember, but it seems you know.

The earlier you hit Westchester County, NY and Tappan Zee Bridge the better. You may also hit some traffic on GS Prkwy, but both should be better than hitting every coastal CT city plus NYC.

84 does not intersect 287 but 684 does. You can pick up 684S just over the NY border from CT and take it south to 287, in White Plains.

An alternate is to take 84 across the Hudson river to the NYS Thruway (87), S to Exit 15 in NY, picking up 287 there straight to Morristown. That route avoids the Tappan Zee.

If you are planning to hit NY around 2, the route across the TZB should be fine.

Every other year, we go to Cape Cod and come home on a Friday. I'm sorry, every time the traffic is awful.

We try to leave the Cape early, but usually end up hitting the Tappan Zee by about 2:30 - 3pm and it's a parking lot. And then, traffic is all backed then along the 287, and then on the NJ turnpike.

We always leave for the Cape on a Sunday, and can take the GW b/c there's no traffic. We can get to the Cape in 6.5 hours (from N. of Phila), but it usually takes us 8.5 frustrating hours to come home.

We're heading up again in a few weeks, and we're going to spend Fri. night in Newport b/c I am just not up for the NYC traffic.

I know this is not what you want to hear. Maybe getting to Tappan Zee by 1pm might help - I don't know; we've never been able to get there before about 2:30. So make sure you get there wayyyyy before 2:30!!!!

karens - what you say is true, but OP is going in the opposite direction - you are encountering everyone leaving NYC for the weekend and returning on Sunday.

gail, it says she's driving Mass to NJ on a friday; that's when we leave the Cape to go to Phila. - on a Friday. (We always leave Phila. on a Sunday - have never encountered traffic problems around NYC then, fingers crossed for this month!)