seafox

84 North of Hartford, at the Sturbridge tolls for the Mass Pike will be a disatser today.. There is an alternative, get off just befor Sturbridge on route 20 and head North. It connects with the Pike in the Worcester area. Takes a little longer on a normal day.....but today will not be normal.

I'm Leaving Hartford at 2 PM today for the outer Cape and I am taking the pre-Interstate system route via Providence. (route 6 all the way) With luck my 3.5 hr trip will only take 5.....

gail

OP is driving north and east - that is opposite direction from most of traffic (although those going to Maine will be headed this way). My route does not use I95. Get to Tappan Zee Bridge, then take 287 to 684 to 84 to MassPike - have no idea if you mean Concord, MA or NH - but I think you mean MA - so then 495 to Route 2.

511 Traffic on cell phone is covering more of the east coast these days - although it did have us yelling at the automated voice in Maryland when it kept thinking we were in Virginia.

Just deal with it - I actually think leaving at 5 PM today will be the least hateful of your options, since by the time you get to Hartford and then MassPike everyone else will have already left.

The Rte 684 exit after the Tappan Zee Bridge is very easy to miss - only one sign. You want to head towards Brewster and/or Danbury. In my experience trying to get cute with alternate routes always backfires. Just stay on the highway and plan to deal with it - I am in the minority in thinking it will not be horrible. (defined as not taking more than 1.5 times the usual).

bennnie

If you follow gail's route also consider getting off the Mass Pike at 290East. Cuts off that mess of traffic going from Mass Pike to 495. 290 connects with 495 a bit north of the Mass Pike. Then head to Rt 2.

Fra_Diavolo

I've been driving 95 from SW CT to RI on Fridays evenings for the last few years, and have found that if I start at about 8:00 PM in the summer, I will encounter little or no traffic. (Just drove by and it is already jammed.)

Can't say if this will be the case on the preferred route to Boston mentioned above, but I would advise having dinner and leaving later rather than at 5:00.

HowardR

Fra_Diavolo, you are right on the mark with your advice.

seafox

So, Janie - how did it go?

janie

Sorry for the delay in updating my story. I just got back a few days ago.
So the trip, while not excatly painless, was not as bad as I had feared. I left around 5:15 on that Friday afternoon and after careful consideration of everyone's advice, tossed a coin and chose the 684/84/90 route. Some slow spots. Ok, lots of slow spots, but no out and out stoppages. Leaving Manhattan was a pleasant surprise. I think everyone here really did leave even earlier. Biggest slowdowns were around White Plains NY, and part of the Mass Pike. As expected

If I had stuck to my original plan of leaving early Saturday, I would have done the Merritt as far as it goes then back to 95.
Just wanted to let people know that if you do have to travel this route at a bad time, it could actually work out OK, so just do it.

HowardR

janie, glad you trip wasn't as bad as you anticipated.
I'm curious: If you took the 684/84/90 route on Friday, why would you take the other route on Saturday morning? What's the difference? Am I missing something?

Ackislander

I'm guessing in response to HowardR's question that it was because there is relatively little traffic on the Merritt Parkway and either Wilbur Cross (to Hartford and Boston) or I-95 (Providence and Cape Cod) on a Saturday morning.

HowardR

But, in general, it would be the same for the 684/84/90 route on Saturday morning!