Driving from KY to the Fort

[OnlyDisney]

We'll be driving down from KY on Friday Jan 3. We'll be leaving Bowling Green around 3am Eastern/2am Central. I'm thinking we'll be driving through Atlanta around 8 - 9 am, maybe 10am. Are we going to hit morning rush hour? How bad is it in Atlanta?

I need to buy a new GPS, but these are the directions from mapquest. It looks like we're traveling down I-75 but on step 5 below we get off I-75 for 15 miles then get back on I-75. Is that correct?

1. I-65 S for 57.6 miles
2. Exit 86 to merge onto I-24E toward I-40 E/Chattanooga/Knoxville for 4.8 miles
3. Keep right for I-24 E exit 213A for 133.9 miles
4. Exit 185A for I-75 S toward Atlanta for 178.8 miles
5. Merge onto I-475 S/GA-408 S via exit 177 toward Bypass to I-75 S/Valdosta for 15.5 miles
6. Merge onto I-75 S via exit on the left for 300.9 miles
7. Exit 328 on the left for Florida's Turnpike S 40.1 miles
8. Exit 267A to SR-429 Toll S/Daniel Webster Western Beltway
9. Exit 19 to CR-535 toward Winter Garden Vineland Rd

 

[LadyBeBop]

Step 5 is correct. The Macon bypass is actually shorter. I-75 zigs into Macon, then zags back. The bypass pretty much goes straight.

Regarding Atlanta traffic, you might catch the tail end of rush hour. Assuming there are more than one of you, just keep in the far left lane. That's for HOV vehicles and carpools. Hoping that a lot of Atlanta workers take the long New Years weekend.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

That Friday will probably be fine due to the timing of the holiday week. I would still probably try to avoid the area on I-75 from Kennesaw (north of the city) to the downtown area between the hours of 7am to 9am.

 

[sam_gordon]

If it looks like you're going to hit Atlanta before 9am, stop for breakfast somewhere. Atlanta is ~ 90 minutes from the TN state line (barring traffic & weather). So if you get into Georgia after 7:30am, you're fine. If earlier than that, stop and stretch your legs for a while.

 

[OnlyDisney]

That Friday will probably be fine due to the timing of the holiday week. I would still probably try to avoid the area on I-75 from Kennesaw (north of the city) to the downtown area between the hours of 7am to 9am.

If it looks like you're going to hit Atlanta before 9am, stop for breakfast somewhere. Atlanta is ~ 90 minutes from the TN state line (barring traffic & weather). So if you get into Georgia after 7:30am, you're fine. If earlier than that, stop and stretch your legs for a while.

Thanks everyone for the tips.

We're going to drive straight through with the only stops for gas and bathroom breaks. Our family does better when we pack the car with food and entertainment and just drive!