The prep work will be important.
Posted on 01/25/2016 6:44:03 AM PST by CaptainPhilFan
Hi FRiends. I have to travel between southwest Virginia and upstate NY in one shot, tomorrow or Wed.
I'm looking for actual road conditions for Rts 81 north, 78 east, 287 north (Jersey) and the NYS thruway past Saratoga. Trouble spots? Road closures?
Thanks in advance for info. Lots of mountains in my immediate future and I want to be prepared for battle :)
...and I fudged the date.... today is the 25th. Sorry!
The prep work will be important.
Do you have a smart phone? There are apps for that. Also, your local news radio station or weather station may have info on their website.
I have in law kin in the Saratoga area !
Safe travels.
Virginia Dept of Transportation web page, with road conditions and a number to call: http://www.virginiadot.org
There are websites that give traffic conditions, road construction, accidents, etc.
For example http://drivingmaps.co/wtov74gf/index.php
You can also get the best routes based on traffic, speed, location of accidents, miles, times.
I’m on I-81 right now. Yesterday afternoon there was NOBODY on the road. No trucks, no cars. Roads were clear to the pavement. There was construction around Scranton. I’m heading south. I’ll let you know.
You ain’t kidding! And I have dogs with me, so they can pull the emergency/survival sled OR be dinner, should it come to that.
I do have Smart Phone. It has a Dumb User. :) ... I can’t make heads or tails of the road websites :). And on a 12-plus hour trip I just want a little advance warning.
Thanks for that! One leg down. NYS is better prepared and more used to cleaning the roads than the Southern part of my trip.
Excellent! Thank you for the 81 report. My phone has a tiny screen, it is hard to see graphics or maps, especially on the fly. It’s the “LG El Cheapo” model.
I should have added - I avoided I-78 and the 287 loop in New Jersey. I had heard the closer you get to NY the worse it is. I’m sure those roads will be better today.
I expected there would be a lot of trucks on the road today but southbound there are zero trucks. A few heading north. The roads are as empty as I’ve ever seen them.
Update: I-81 from above Scranton south through Harrisburg the road is clear and dry. Not a lot of traffic.
The trucks are back on the road. Most of them heading north. Quite a few have snow on their roofs and the rest stops are filled with them. Not a lot of cars. Absolutely no busses.
I’m on I-81 frequently and I’ve never seen it this empty.
Thanks very much, Lady Jane! Tomorrow the trucks should have cleared tops, and that info was a great bit of insight for travellers. If you see a purple wagon with the Gadsen flag, give a wave! :)
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