Driving to KP tips

No, it is not like I waited until the last minute or anything. I am just sitting down to map out our driving directions to KP. Coming from the west ( Indiana ) does anyone have any tips or warnings to share? New constrction, old construction, storm damage etc. Thanks in advance. I can't wait!

Here is more information on our proposed route. I 95 to 495 to Lincoln Tunnel on to 495. (route shortened for simplicity) Are there any big red flags here. We plan to arrive fairly late in the evening to avoid as much traffic as possible in the city. Yay? Nay? other suggestions? Thanks
We are staying in Garden City.

Gas up in New Jersey.

thru PA to NY

You might want to look at taking 78 from Harrisburg PA to NY rather than continue on the PA turnpike to take the NJ turnpike.

Also, just an fyi~NY does alot of it's construction at night. 2 years ago, when it wasn't Labor Day weekend during PW, NY decided to do construction near the George Washington Bridge taking 5 lanes down to 2 and then 1 lane. -almost doubled the travel time. I would hope since it is LDW, they would open the available construction lanes.

For New York traffic, construction, etc. try http://www.511ny.org/traffic.aspx. This is the state DOT website for traffic updates. Most of the time NY is pretty good about taking down construction before major holiday weekends, but just in case....

Take the GW Bridge to the cross Bronx expressway to the throgs neck bridge to the cross island parkway to northern blvd. You will avoid going through Manhattan plus you will get a nice view of KP from the water.

Alt. Route

If you are coming I-95 you might consider using exit 13 (I think) ...Goethals Bridge ... Staten Island Expwy .. Verrazano Bridge ... Shore (Belt) parkway ... Cross Island Parkway ... Northern Blvd. It's probably the most scenic route but traffic is always a crap shoot... depends on time of day.

Lynpar said:

Here is more information on our proposed route. I 95 to 495 to Lincoln Tunnel on to 495. (route shortened for simplicity) Are there any big red flags here. We plan to arrive fairly late in the evening to avoid as much traffic as possible in the city. Yay? Nay? other suggestions? Thanks
We are staying in Garden City.

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Sorry to be late to the party and you are probably already on your way but this route is a big "Nay" from my experience unless it's a Sunday Morning do NOT go through the Lincoln Tunnel and through Manhattan. If you are coming across the PA TPK from the west you can take either Exit 10, 13, or 18 off the NJ Turnpike and get around NYC easier to Long Island and KP. At the hours you are talking right now I'd favor going exit 18 and staying on 95 to the exits for either the Throgs Neck Bridge (my preferred route) or the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge and then taking either the Cross Island Pkway off the Throgs Neck (stay to the right on the Bridge) or the Clearview Expressway off the Bronx Whitestone to the Long Island Expressway (I-495) then go east to garden City.

Alternatively I'd take exit 10, go over the Outerbridge Crossing, Up 440 on the West side of Staten Island to 278 and go over the Verrazanno and then take the Belt parkway around the southern side of Brooklyn and Queens to the Cross island to I-495. I favor that over the Goethals because the last couple of times I've been up there in the evening there has been construction in/around the Goethals Bridge.

Enjoy your weekend.

Oh yeah and the best tip here is gas up in NJ - it's generally 25-50 cents cheaper a gallon and they pump it at no extra charge by law.

Don't run any yellow lights on Northern Blvd. There are pole mounted cameras and you will get tickets in the mail for going through a red light since the lights change from yellow to red almost at once. Approach each light slowly and be prepared to stop.

kpbaseballmom said:

Don't run any yellow lights on Northern Blvd. There are pole mounted cameras and you will get tickets in the mail for going through a red light since the lights change from yellow to red almost at once. Approach each light slowly and be prepared to stop.

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Ah, yes - our DS had a car at KP during summer session last year and, several weeks after he went out to sea, we received a ticket from the City of New York showing our PT Cruiser running a red light on Northern Boulevard. Come to find out that DS wasn't driving the car - he lent it to a friend. Definitely watch the lights.