Traffic/construction on I95

[katiesmom]

7 days and counting for my next trip to Disney We will be driving from Pittsburgh PA and will be driving through Jacksonville around 10:00 AM next Friday. Usually we take I95 to 4, but last November construction and traffic was so bad, we detoured to 295 then 10 then 301 then the turnpike. Can anyone tell me how bad the construction and traffic is? Is it worthwhile to detour again?

 

[skeeter]

Katiesmom--I live in Sarasota, FL and travel to Disney on I-4 from Tampa---I can tell you that from that direction construction has caused long delays for us--up to two hours for a normally one hour trip. If your detour still allows, I would seriously consider it.

Hope this helps--:animwink:

 

[skipperg]

My wife and I just made the trip in May. We are from Uniontown, Pa. just 40 miles south of you. Going down on Sat. May 8 we hit the Jacksonville area around 8:30 pm. Traffic was moving rather well and didn't affect us much.

On the return on Friday May 21 the construction wasn't the problem. I95 from St. Augustine to Jacksonville was shut down due to a major accident. We had to use US1, took us about 90 minutes to go 30 miles.

A friend that goes down 95 a couple of times a year told me that the best move is to use 295 around Jacksonville. We are going back down on June 30th and if our timing is about the same I figure we will hit Jacksonville around 6 pm.

It took us 15 hours from Uniontown to Pop Century. This included stops to eat and gas up. 923 miles, this included my mistake of getting off I4 onto 417S. Figure I went about 15 to 20 miles out of our way.

Let us know about the construction and any detours.

Joe

 

[Feta]

Living in Jacksonville - I would definitely recommend staying on I-95 to I-4. I would take I-295 around town, but only if you're hitting town around rush hour. Otherwise a lot of the construction has been finished. I-95 is now 6 lanes south from Jacksonville all the way to Flagler county (close to Daytona). It moves SOO much better.

 

[tigsmom]

We just got our trip tickets from AAA. Looks like the construction problems will be above Florida. With the regular traffic congestion around DC. We'll be driving down in July. Can't wait. :sohappy:

 

[darkrose]

Another Jacksonville-ite here.

The I-95 North/I-295 North interchange is closed for two years, while you could take 295 on your way down, there's not really any need to. There is a detour that will cost an extra few couple of minutes, but staying on 95 would be the best way to go..sometimes even in rush hour traffic.

The widening project is mostly done with the exception of a couple miles here and there, mostly centered around the 95/295 interchange/flyover. I think there was still a little construction south of St. Augustine the last time we went down (early May), but we didn't experience any significant delays.

I don't go north in Jacksonville very often, so I don't know what construction on the northside is like, if any.

I will echo Feta's comments that you don't need to take 295 unless you hit rush hour traffic...

 

[aimster]

Construction on I-4 is still a mess. Luckily the last few times I've gone up that way, I've gone over weekends when no one was working so there were no delays.

If they actually finish all the construction along various sections of I-4 before I die, it'll be a miracle. It took them almost 10 years to finish the section from the I-75 exit to just before where I-4 meets I-275. Now down here they're working on where I-275 and I-4 meet right in downtown Tampa and it's INSANE! Traffic trying to merge onto I-4 gets majorly backed up, but the lanes staying on I-275 keep chugging along. I usually "cheat" and take a side road down to I-75 and take *that* down to I-4.

:hammer:

 

[Kevlin]

We are heading down from Harrisburg PA in late July but are going to Tampa/Clearwater first for a few days and will be taking I-4 to Disney from Tampa. Does anyone know how the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando is these days with construction?

Thanks,

Kevin

46 days until CBR!!

 

[phlydude]

For anyone coming down I-95 through DE (coming down I-95 from PA or I-295/NJTPk from New England/NY/NJ), there is some construction that is occuring right around interchange #4 in both NB and SB lanes. All 4 lanes are open in each direction but lanes narrow and speeds are reduced. People tend to stay slow after the construction as well as a word of caution!

 

[katiesmom]

Thanks for all the GREAT information... you guys are better than AAA. They had tons of construstion maked on I95 just south of Jacksonville.... I am sooooo glade to hear that it is almost done. I4... thats another story... I don't thing it will ever be done, but I am willing to deal with I4 as long as I dont have to site in traffic for a hour in Jacksonville. By the way, has anyone else ever noticed that the drivers on I4 have a death wish???? It scares the heck out of me everytime we hit I4, and the closer you get to Disney ... the worse it seems to get. I have never seen so many inconsiderate and all around bad drivers in all my life. Is it just me, or is anyone else praying while they drive I4?

 

[aimster]

Originally posted by Kevlin
We are heading down from Harrisburg PA in late July but are going to Tampa/Clearwater first for a few days and will be taking I-4 to Disney from Tampa. Does anyone know how the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando is these days with construction?

Kevin, read my previous post above yours. Weekdays, that junction is one big mess. During rush hour (anywhere between 3pm-7pm), traffic heading north on I-275 can get backed up as far as the Dale Mabry exit or even all the way to the Howard Frankland Bridge (the bridge that connects St Pete to Tampa). I drive by this section at least once a week and it always looks the same. If you'd like some suggestions to avoid that area without doing a big detour, PM me and I'll drop you a suggestion or two.

Also, there's construction going on from Lakeland to Kissimmee (road widening & the like). I haven't hit any delays yet, but I know there can be some long ones if you travel when there's alot of work going on.

 

[phlydude]

Originally posted by katiesmom
Thanks for all the GREAT information... you guys are better than AAA. They had tons of construstion maked on I95 just south of Jacksonville.... I am sooooo glade to hear that it is almost done. I4... thats another story... I don't thing it will ever be done, but I am willing to deal with I4 as long as I dont have to site in traffic for a hour in Jacksonville. By the way, has anyone else ever noticed that the drivers on I4 have a death wish???? It scares the heck out of me everytime we hit I4, and the closer you get to Disney ... the worse it seems to get. I have never seen so many inconsiderate and all around bad drivers in all my life. Is it just me, or is anyone else praying while they drive I4?

You haven't driven the Schuylkill Expressway or I-95 through Philly during rush hour!!

Blame it on the tourons that don't know where they are going and the impatient locals who have to deal with the tourons all day, every day!!

 

[katiesmom]

I just wanted to thank all of you for all of the great information... like I said your better than AAA! Construction and delays were VERY light for this time of the year all the way from Pittsburgh to Disney. 95 though Jacksonville was a breeze compared to years past... and even I4 wasn't as bad as usual. We had a great trip except for the record heat we encountered. There were several days that I thought I was about to melt! :lol: