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NJ Turnpike on Friday morning


SuzeCruz1
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We’ll be heading up the New Jersey Tpke for our cruise on Adventure on a Friday in June. We get on from the Pa Turnpike, at interchange 6 in Florence.

We’ve done Sunday or Saturday treks several times in under 2 hours door to door.

When does rush hour ease in the Bayonne area or what kind of traffic can we expect? We’ll be listening to NJ radio (101.5?) for traffic updates, and I know we can expect almost anything to happen, but I’m getting a bit nervous about heading toward Newark and NYC on a weekday. We’re hoping to leave by 9:00 and getting to the pier by 12:00 latest.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

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If you're leaving Pennsylvania at 9 you'll miss the heaviest traffic. Barring an accident or construction emergency on the NJ Turnpike you should have no problem getting to Cape Liberty by noon.

 

Don't waste the time, gasoline and money by doing a test run. The conditions on any one particular day are meaningless.

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In the old days, some 30, 20 years ago before the internet days ... I would tune in metro NY's AM radio station, News 880 still has the strongest station signal that can be picked up 50 to 100 miles out in most direction driving in ... that can be useful to your NJ radio station on the tuner's "dial" - 880 has updated major traffic alert every 8 minutes on the hour.

 

Otherwise, launch your real-time GPS traffic App to aid, Waze is what I use & recommend, or, Google Maps/Android Auto (and equivalent on iPhone) - preset your destination firs to avoid distractions.

 

Concur with not getting on the NJ Tpke before 9 or 9:30 am, but watch for those electronic/digital board "overhead" messages flashing on the Turnpike about accidents, closures & road work, etc. ahead ... Cars only lane has HOV restriction during the rush hour also.

 

Be sure to follow the latest detailed directions for getting into Cape Liberty (138east/Carol & others have them posted here ...) as for whatever reasons, GPS seemed to be confused & often "lost" themselves - I know that Google Maps would had previously got me going in circles around Exit 11 and Exit 13/13A once I exited the Jersey "Pike" (I did it on "purpose" to test it out, sure enough ... good thing I knew exactly where I was going ... with the Rt. 440's)

 

Have safely and have a great cruise !

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thanks for the advice, everyone.

we'll listen to AM 880 before we leave and while driving, and will have the Waze app on. I will also check the NJT website beforehand for any construction.

Departure is at 3:00 so that adds a bit to my angst.

We've been to Cape Liberty several times and there always seems to be some new adventure getting from 14A to the port, so will definitely check Carol's most current and always excellent directions.

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If your departure is at 3pm I would leave a bit earlier. South of exit 8 should be fairly open by then and the section from exit 11 to 14a should open up some by the time you get there. Forget 880AM. While they will give you traffic every 10 minutes they cover NYC, Long Island, Connecticut so you don't always get the most up today info for New Jersey. The best NJ traffic is on FM at 101.5, During rush hour periods they do reports about every 10 to 15 minutes and they only do New Jersey and the exits and entrance from PA and NY. You will get a lot more information there. Just ignore their "hosts" who tend to be fairly political. Also look at your alternate routes I295 runs pretty much parallel to the NJTP from exit 1 up to exit 7a--turnpike exits. If there are jams on the NJTP between exit 11 and 14a you can pick up the Garden State Parkway at turnpike exit 11 and go north about 15 miles to Exit 142 for I 78 and go east right into the NJTP's Newark Bay Extension and exit 14a. I spent 30 years driving all over the NY/NJ metro area for work and I never left home with fewer than two routes planned. You could breeze, you could get stuck. You won't know until that day so having any alternate or three is always a good idea.

 

We have a cruise out of Bayonne in July on a Sunday and I am already looking for alternatives because I know that the construction around 14a can be a mess on the weekends....

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If your departure is at 3pm I would leave a bit earlier. South of exit 8 should be fairly open by then and the section from exit 11 to 14a should open up some by the time you get there. Forget 880AM. While they will give you traffic every 10 minutes they cover NYC, Long Island, Connecticut so you don't always get the most up today info for New Jersey. The best NJ traffic is on FM at 101.5, During rush hour periods they do reports about every 10 to 15 minutes and they only do New Jersey and the exits and entrance from PA and NY. You will get a lot more information there. Just ignore their "hosts" who tend to be fairly political. Also look at your alternate routes I295 runs pretty much parallel to the NJTP from exit 1 up to exit 7a--turnpike exits. If there are jams on the NJTP between exit 11 and 14a you can pick up the Garden State Parkway at turnpike exit 11 and go north about 15 miles to Exit 142 for I 78 and go east right into the NJTP's Newark Bay Extension and exit 14a. I spent 30 years driving all over the NY/NJ metro area for work and I never left home with fewer than two routes planned. You could breeze, you could get stuck. You won't know until that day so having any alternate or three is always a good idea.

 

We have a cruise out of Bayonne in July on a Sunday and I am already looking for alternatives because I know that the construction around 14a can be a mess on the weekends....

The traffic reports are every 15 minutes @ 3 minutes after the quarter hour (803, 818, 833, 848) -- approximately. If you don't like talk radio, tune in @ the quarter hours, usually there's a commercial or 2 before the traffic report ;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

@SuzeCruz1, according to your byline, you're from the Philly area. Morning of your departure, keep an ear on the local news and KYW1060. If there's anything HUGE on the NJ Turnpike, you may hear about it... I've seen the traffic reports cover up above Trenton when there was a major incident. So at least you might get a heads up if there's something early in the route. I also use my phone's maps app to check traffic conditions/drive time. Generally, it'll give you the fastest way - though sometimes Waze has taken me on weird routes (not wrong, just weird), so I prefer Google Maps or the iPhone maps app.

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Thanks to everyone. You've given us some great info. We'll have alternate routes in place and use all our technology to make sure we get there on time. And keep our fingers crossed for no problems.

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If your departure is at 3pm I would leave a bit earlier. South of exit 8 should be fairly open by then and the section from exit 11 to 14a should open up some by the time you get there. Forget 880AM. While they will give you traffic every 10 minutes they cover NYC, Long Island, Connecticut so you don't always get the most up today info for New Jersey. The best NJ traffic is on FM at 101.5, During rush hour periods they do reports about every 10 to 15 minutes and they only do New Jersey and the exits and entrance from PA and NY. You will get a lot more information there. Just ignore their "hosts" who tend to be fairly political. Also look at your alternate routes I295 runs pretty much parallel to the NJTP from exit 1 up to exit 7a--turnpike exits. If there are jams on the NJTP between exit 11 and 14a you can pick up the Garden State Parkway at turnpike exit 11 and go north about 15 miles to Exit 142 for I 78 and go east right into the NJTP's Newark Bay Extension and exit 14a. I spent 30 years driving all over the NY/NJ metro area for work and I never left home with fewer than two routes planned. You could breeze, you could get stuck. You won't know until that day so having any alternate or three is always a good idea.

 

We have a cruise out of Bayonne in July on a Sunday and I am already looking for alternatives because I know that the construction around 14a can be a mess on the weekends....

 

 

Completely agree with 101.5 FM for traffic updates. This is a New Jersey station that gives detailed information regarding NJ roads opposed to WCBS 880am which will cover NJ only if major traffic/accident happens.

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  • 1 month later...

Just letting you all know we got to the port in less than 90 minutes - and that was with not leaving PA till almost 10:00 (some of our fellow travelers are NOT morning people;)).

The new access ramp to Chosin Few Way took at least 10 minutes off the drive. It's not open yet to return to the Tpke.

 

Thanks again for all your advice and reassurances.

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