Coming from the east

[danix]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

I plan to leave NY early Friday morning, like 3AM, and drive through, arriving sometime Friday night. My father is tagging along so with 2 drivers I should make better time.

 

[VelvetFoot]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Hmmmm... mapoint shows a 945 mi. shortest drive. One tank???

 

[Rammstein]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

For me it'll be on 1 tank...

 

[new2diesel]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

I'll be leaving West Michigan Friday afterwork..
I'll be arriving at my parents' house near woodstock Illinois whenever the traffic decides to clear. Will be arriving at Fest Saturday Morning after we drop off the baby at GrandMa and GrandPa's.
If anyone would like to meet for dinner in Gary, Hammond, South Chicago area around 8 p.m. EST.. Can we get a list or is it too spotty to try and meet?

There's a Flying J at exit 9a off I94 & I80.
Possible meeting place..

Just thinking out loud..

\/\/

 

[jettafock]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Well I will be leaving later today to head out to the great state of Wisconsin after I am discharged from the Air Force (good-bye air force, hello unemployment). I will be taking 70 to 76 to 80 to 80/90 to 94 through Chicago and into the greater Milwaukee area. I should be hitting Chicago after 9pm, so it better not be bad. See you all there next week.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

I've gotta be in Hartford all day Thursday and will leave from home (Boston's South Shore) early Friday AM and drive straight through. I think I'll get outta here before 6:00 AM and hope to be there around midnight.

Anyone doing something similar, or can we meet up en route somewhere? I may need the moral support.

 

[jettafock]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Well I am finally back in Wisconsin. 11 hours 34 mins including a 29 min break for fuel stretch and you know what. It was 768 miles from my house to my mom's house. It was 753 (11hrs 20mins) from my house to where I exited I-94 at exit 323 (hwy G). I took I-90 (skyway) around Chicago. If you are going to high Chicago at high traffic, I would not use this. The road goes down to one lane right before meeting up with I-94 West. I hit Gary IN at 8pm and made it through Chicago in under 45 mins, there was hardly any traffic. Also, the skyway is a total of $3.00 in tolls, where as I-94 there are now tolls. Along the way there was some construction that went down to one lane, but I never went under 45mph and the construction never lasted longer then a few miles. The longest is at mile marker 146 in Indiana for about 4 miles. As far as fuel goes. MD, PA, and Ohio is all Sunoco stations. The first half of Indi is Mobile, the last half is BP. Well that about sums it all up. Have fun traveling, see you all on Friday.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Im coming from the east, but watch out I come quick quick... I say we get a nice little cruise to TDI FEST goin from the east.

Quick Quick sounds good, when are you leaving Toronto?

 

[251]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

I took I-90 (skyway) around Chicago. If you are going to high Chicago at high traffic, I would not use this. The road goes down to one lane right before meeting up with I-94 West. I hit Gary IN at 8pm and made it through Chicago in under 45 mins, there was hardly any traffic. Also, the skyway is a total of $3.00 in tolls, where as I-94 there are now tolls.

You meant to say NO tolls on I-94, right? Unless the Illnois Tollway people have installed toll barriers on I-94 lately?

 

[vikingrob]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

I took I-90 (skyway) around Chicago. If you are going to high Chicago at high traffic, I would not use this. The road goes down to one lane right before meeting up with I-94 West. I hit Gary IN at 8pm and made it through Chicago in under 45 mins, there was hardly any traffic. Also, the skyway is a total of $3.00 in tolls, where as I-94 there are now tolls.

You meant to say NO tolls on I-94, right? Unless the Illnois Tollway people have installed toll barriers on I-94 lately?

I-294 has always been toll. I-94 is toll from the Edens Spur basically to the Wisconsin line.

 

[251]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

I took I-90 (skyway) around Chicago. If you are going to high Chicago at high traffic, I would not use this. The road goes down to one lane right before meeting up with I-94 West. I hit Gary IN at 8pm and made it through Chicago in under 45 mins, there was hardly any traffic. Also, the skyway is a total of $3.00 in tolls, where as I-94 there are now tolls.

You meant to say NO tolls on I-94, right? Unless the Illnois Tollway people have installed toll barriers on I-94 lately?

I-294 has always been toll. I-94 is toll from the Edens Spur basically to the Wisconsin line.

Been a while since I've been up there - yeah, there's a toll up north near the state line (IL/WI) but I bypass it via parallel US 41.

Just forgot about it there for a bit.....

 

[jettafock]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Well I just meant if you take I-94 from Gary through south Chicago there are not any tolls on that strecth. If you take the Skyway, there will be tolls.

 

[jettafock]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Oh yes, another thing. I would take I-894 around Milwaukee too. They are doing major construction at the Marquette interchange.

 

[ALCO]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Any suggested routes to get around the bottom of the Lake on Monday morning? We'll be heading for Port Huron, Michigan to make the border crossing. We're going to take the Ludington ferry get to the Fest but would like to go all-interstate coming back if Chicago is not an impasse! TIA.

 

[bluenb1]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

All I can say is Chicago is a PITA. They have construction everywhere. The stretch between Gary and the Indiana border is a crap shoot. You just don't know what's going to be shut down and when....I jumped off, dropped south and hit US30 until I could get around it.
Use the skyway if you must go through Chicago. It's a little more expensive...but well worth it. Avoid the rush hours. 6-9 in the A.M. 3-6ish in the P.M.
Take 80 around Chicago out to 39, head north on 39 right up to the WI border and through Janesville...a little more mileage...but I'd bet a weeks pay it'll save you a lot of time and headaches! Good luck and drive safely! WE'll see you at the fest! Jeff

 

[danix]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Jeff, you think even late on Friday it will be bad?

 

[bluenb1]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Dan,
All I can say is that there is about a 20 mile stretch of roadway that they are redoing between highway 64 and the 80/294 intersection. It's the worst I've ever seen. They'll just shut the road down going in one direction TOTALLY and the people that are stuck on the highway are just that, STUCK for hours (I got stuck but road the shoulder after sitting for about 30 minutes to an offramp). They typically give little warning.

Here is what the IDOT folks are saying

Lanes opening, Labor Day Break on Kingery Expressway
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is announcing an updated schedule of Kingery Expressway (I-80/94) openings and construction as the Labor Day holiday approaches. As work progresses throughout the Kingery corridor, IDOT’s Road Doctors have planned the following schedule (weather permitting):

Today, August 30 IDOT will begin to open new lanes. By Thursday, September 1st, all eastbound I-80/94 traffic will be on new pavement from Illinois Route 394 to Burnham Avenue. After the switch to the new pavement, traffic from eastbound I-80 and eastbound I-94 will be able to exit to northbound and southbound Torrence Avenue.

At 3:00 PM on Friday, September 2 the Road Doctors will take a break for the Labor Day holiday. There will be no lane closures during the holiday weekend. Work will resume Tuesday, September 6 at 12:01 AM.

On Tuesday, September 6, the exit ramp from northbound Illinois Route 394 to eastbound I-80/94 will close for reconstruction for approximately two months.

The posted detour will direct traffic to continue northbound on Illinois Route 394 to the westbound Bishop Ford Freeway (I-94). Traffic will then exit at westbound 159th Street, loop around and reenter I-94 eastbound and follow the detour signs to the exit ramp to eastbound I-80/94.
This work is part of the $430 million Kingery Expressway reconstruction project. Work began in 2003 and will continue through 2006. The completed project will include additional traffic lanes and reconfigured interchanges at Torrence Ave. and at the Bishop Ford Expressway/ Illinois Route 394 junction.

For more information, please visit www.kingeryexpressway.com or call 1-877-411-IDOT.

or look HERE and check the traffic info and congestion map. You can even check the road cameras by clicking on them.

Good luck! Jeff

 

[jettafock]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Jeff, you think even late on Friday it will be bad?

Dan I hit Gary, IN at 8pm when I went through, and traffic was not bad at all.

 

[jasonTDI]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

The key is before 11 pm. That's when they go hog wild with the construction. Don't exit. You WILL get lost and the neighborhoods can turn ugly in a hurry. Not all but some of them.

 

[BeetleGo]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Well... I guess I'll always remember when I filled up the first time that fuel was (more than) $3.00 a gallon.

I just filled up. $3.15 per. $45.00 to fill my Beetle.

<ironic>Yey!!!!!!

 

[bluenb1]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Just think what some of those soccer moms are paying for their Suburbans and Tahoes (where they're usually the only ones in it)? What do they carry...30-40 gallons? I don't know...but I'll bet some of these folks are getting close (if not exceeding) $100 to fill up and imgine how often they do it when they get 8 miles per gallon. Be fortunate that you get the mileage you get. You can go a lot further per tank with your 15 gallons than they can go on 2 tanks!
Later, Jeff

 

[Rammstein]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Leaving from Montreal guys.

I hope they let me pass the border...

 

[mycruiseagent]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Anyone going through or from Connecticut tomorrow (Friday)? I've got a few items to send along if someone will carry them.

MCA

 

[BeetleGo]

Re: 2005 TDI Fest coming from the east

Well, I started up the car at 3am this morning. Met up with the V's outside of Woooooster and tag teamed it the entire day to Ohio where we are now. Who should be walking out to their car at the rest stop that we stopped to have lunch at but Velvetfoot and Mrs. V! Pretty cool bit of kissmet. We parked the cars around 3pm, jumped into the pool, and Tomo showed up a couple of hours later. Just got back from dinner and going to... <yawn> SLEEP!

See everyone tomorrow.

!BG