Highway/route advice - NYC/CT Area

[dtw]

I'm going to be heading up I-95 tomorrow through NYC to the Darien/Norwalk area. I will be driving an SUV and pulling a trailer.

Should I/can I take I-95 straight through Newark/NYC, or should I try something a little less stressful like 287?

For whatever it is worth, I will be coming home Sunday morning when traffic is light. The trailer would be loaded down with my latest treasure at that time. I will be preferring routes that have minimal pucker factor for trailer towing.

Huh...speaking of which - how is it going through toll booths with a trailer? Can't say as I have ever done that. Anyway - thoughts welcomed!!!

[stomachmonkey]

You mean 278?

Across Staten Island across the Verenzano then up the BQE towing a trailer?

No thank you.

Staten Island Is a traffic night mare and i'd rather smash my nuts with a hammer than tow on the BQE. BTDTGTS.

Tolls are no issue with a trailer.

[dtw]

Nope, I mean 287, the long way around.

Hell no on 278. I have been that way in my E39 Sport and lost my fillings - no way am I going through there in a truck and trailer. And yeah, the traffic!

[onlycafe]

10-4 on 287.
avoid metro area at all costs.

[flatbutt]

I'd go 287 for sure all the way up then across to 87 and then Ct 15. Just hope the Tappan Zee isn't to windy.

[dtw]

287 it is, thanks guys!

[Z-man]

Take 95 North up until Exit 11 (IIRC) Then hop on the Garden State Parkway - take that all the way till you hit 87 and follow to the Tappan Zee Bridge.

BTW: As you pass the Montvale service area & the last exit in NJ, on the right of the highway is my workplace. (Too bad you're not driving through there on a weekday...)

This route will take you through Newark, but on a weekend, it won't be as bad. But, it will shave off significant time vs. going around 287 the whole way, or trudging through NYC.

Safe journeys!
-Z-man.

[dtw]

Originally Posted by Z-man

Take 95 Norht up until Exit 11 (IIRC) Then hop on the Garden State Parkway - take that all the way till you hit 87 and follow to the Tappan Zee Bridge.

BTW: As you pass the Montvale service area & the last exit in NJ, on the right of the highway is my workplace. (Too bad you're not driving through there on a weekday...)

This route will take you through Newark, but on a weekend, it won't be as bad. But, it will shave off significant time vs. going around 287 the whole way, or trudging through NYC.

Safe journeys!
-Z-man.

Y'know, that's the way I usually pass-through - but I can't for the life of me remember if that route will have issues with trailering. Any nasty transitions, narrow lanes, doglegs, super-tight-radius cloverleafs that will get my blood pressure up?

I wish it were a weekday too! The seller of this car would have preferred a weekday, but I already burned a vacation day this week on an unplanned trip to Florida on unplanned but urgent family business. Been slammed the rest of the week - working until 11pm tonight trying to catch up (why do I have to burn a vacation day if I just work 16+ hrs one day later in the week...?)

It would be cool to see the skunkwerks. Maybe next time!

[Z-man]

Trailers are allowed on the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway (No 18 wheelers on the Parkway), and there are no tight spots along that corridor - so you shouldn't have any trouble getting through there. When I trailer to NJMP, I will leave work, take the Parkway to the Turnpike, and make it down to south Jersey in short order.

-Z

[Paul_Heery]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I'd go 287 for sure all the way up then across to 87 and then Ct 15. Just hope the Tappan Zee isn't to windy.

Ct 15 is the Merritt Parkway, no trailers allowed.

[dw1]

I drive from Northern NJ to Central CT on a very regular basis.

Because my destination is usually the Hartford area, I take I-287 north and east across the Tappan Zee bridge and then to I-684 & I-84.

Because I'm usually driving a fully loaded van, the Saw Mill River Pkwy is n.g., although I look forward to the day I take my '87 911 on it (during an off-traffic time, of course)

Tomorrow, I'm driving directly to the Rocky Hill/Wethersfield area, so I'm probably taking either I-287 -> I-95 -> I-91, or I-287 ->Huchinson/Merritt (rt 15) -> 91

[dtw]

Greetings from CT. Zoltan your route was brilliant, thanks!

Beautiful office. What goes on in there?