Atlanta GA traffic?

[tomstractorsandtoys]

Son bought a car in FL. We are flying to get it. Coming home the route goes right thru Atlanta. I have heard stories about the traffic there. Is it worse than Chicago? We could go further west and then head up thru Al as we are heading to WI. What is your opinions? Thanks Tom

 

[Roger in Iowa]

Go west and come up thru Birmingham. Much, much easier.

 

[jacksun65]

go straight through not bad if before 6am or from 9 till 2 or after 8pm

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I second that, much safer. You would have to put a gun to my head to go through Georgia.

Drivers in Georgia drive like nuts, not only in Atlanta,

Google maps says Atlanta is faster, but if you include all the back ups, Alabama is faster.

There is a short cut around Nashville. Nashville has backups too.

 

[Richard G.]

I live a hundred miles northeast of Hotlanta. Been through there a thousand times.
The trip I made last year in my Dodge 1 ton pulling a 20 ft trailer will be the last time for me. People drive absolutely crazy down there.

 

[David G]

It is not bad if you avoid rush hours and utilize HOV lane.

 

[Two Dogs]

The trouble with that is rush hour is twenty four hours long and lasts for seven days at a stretch. Best to avoid those maniacs in Atlanta if at all possible. TDF

 

[gab]

I didn't like Atlanta 40 years ago, I'd probably slip over west and through Birmingham and Nashville, up 57 in Illinois to Champaign, 74 to Bloomington, up 39 and your home. Still a long ride, we stayed on the north side of Birmingham in 09, went through Nashville at noon and I didn't feel real good, put my 17 year old daughter behind the wheel when we got to Ill. and hung on, got to Rockford about midnight and the air smelt terrible, can't describe it, next day found out a big rain washed out the tracks and ethanol train crashed/burned, one woman in a car at crossing burned.

 

[oldsarge]

Ya know if you die in Florida,to get to Heaven or Hell you have to change planes in Atlanta

 

[oliver fan]

Do like Jacksum65 said. At least in Atlanta you will not have mile long backups at toll booths (every 5 miles) like in Chicago.

 

[grandpa Love]

Head for Columbus GA , Auburn Al on us 280.in Birmingham hit 65 not too bad. When you go through Sylacauga Al on 280 you will be a mile from my house,stop in . southern hospitality!

 

[4520BW]

Last month went to gulf shores for vacation and took 4 hours to get from Birmingham to Montgomery. Have no idea what the problem was. Headed north the next week and never got below 80mph.

 

[Olen (TN)]

Go straight through on Sunday morning,you can go as fast as you like.

 

[WGM]

There are no back up at Chicago toll booths. They have open tolling. You drive right thru without slowing down.

 

[FLOLDFORD]

Went through there two Saturday's ago around 8 AM no problem. I wouldn't even think about it Monday through Friday regardless of the time of day unless it was before 6 in the mourning. Find a route through eastern Alabama up to Nashville

 

[jm.]

IF you do go over to Birmingham and come north on I 65 to 24 west to I 57 North it is not bad EXCEPT 6.30 am till about 8.30 am rest of the time should not be bad coming thru south to west. Most times straight thru is easier than some of the bypasses. I came thru Atlanta the other night about 2am and ran 75 all the way thru but not in the day time.

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

Thanks for the replies. We are going to take 75 north to 82 and then pickup 65 at Montgomery AL and take that clear to Chicago. No Atlanta. Tom

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Last trip to Florida, I want back roading from Birmingham to Jacksonville, Fl. I'm in no hurry. Fun going different ways.

 

[JMS/.MN]

You are likely to have a gun to your head if you drive through Atlanta....

 

[4520BW]

That's the way we go to Panama city. When you got 5 kids from age 1 to 15 sooner there the better! If it just me and the wife we don't hurry.

 

[IA Roy]

Did anyone hear if they got the interstate bridge rebuilt that some crackhead melted last spring??

 

[Geo-TH,In]

JMS/.MN

This spring on my return trip to Indiana, I entered Georgia and there was a sign showing how many traffic death to Date. Scary to see how many people are killed on highways.

Never thought how many deaths on the highway were caused by guns.
geo

 

[mmfan55]

Depends on what time you're going through. Rush hours are a disaster. Avoid rush hours and much of the time you'll seldom tap the brakes. Avoid the east side of town. That is where the worst traffic problems are with the closure on I85.

 

[PJH]

Wife and I purposely went thru Atlanta at 2 AM. We were the only car on the road.

Only been thru Atlanta four times - the other three day trips were memorable, and not in a good way. Tried the bypass too. Looked like a parking lot.

 

[Old Scovy]

I trucked through Atlanta all my life and never had much trouble. , The bypass will make you wish that you stayed home. I sometimes had to go the bypass as I had to go to a tank wash over that way. You say the people drive absolutely crazy down there, And they drive absolutely crazy up there also. We all cause the traffic congestion. We are all a part of it. The roads were not built just for you or me we have to share and too get mad in traffic is foolish as the traffic will still be there. You say that you will never go through Atlanta again ? The folks in Atlanta will thank you as that makes one less driver to make a mistake and cause another driver to say the drivers are stupid. If they only allowed people to drive on the road that never make a mistake, There would only be 2 drivers on the road ,You and Me.

 

[caterpillar guy]

If you hit Nashville at the right /wrong time it can be as bad as Atlanta. Chicago is pretty easy even if you go through on 94 and go out 290. The worst of Chicago is by the 94 290 junction.
Of course destruction season doesn't help either.

 

[JerryS]

That's because everybody is in church, right?

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Thanks for the replies. We are going to take 75 north to 82 and then pickup 65 at Montgomery AL and take that clear to Chicago. No Atlanta.

Hmm. Taking US-82, which I think is mostly two-lane highway, would be a pretty stiff price to pay to avoid Atlanta. Atlanta isn't bad at all if you time it right; if you time it wrong it's still only an hour of misery vs. several hours on a two-lane.