Driving question - from Jacksonville, rt 10 to rt 301?

[ellenmiele]

We will be driving to WDW (for the 4th time in the past 3 years) this Easter Sunday night. We usually leave NJ at 6 pm and make great time with very little traffic all the way down to the Florida border (usually crossing into FL at about 7-8 am). That part of our trip we seem to have down to a science. But then we always end up in traffic from Jacksonville down to rt 4. DH has been studying the map looking for alternative routes. Anyone have any idea? How about rt 10W to rt 301S? (It looks possible on the map). And I seem to recall construction delays on 95 around Jacksonville also contributing to our problems - is there still construction? Also - what is the Bee Line?

THANKS!

 

[Selket]

I'm interested in this also - we leave in a week! I read another thread that the traffic around Jacksonville was bad due to construction. Does it matter whether one cuts through town or takes their beltway around?

As to the original ? another poster suggested to me that we take 417 off of 4 to get to WDW which lets us avoid Orlando traffic. The Beeline is another road that cuts straight off of 95 much further to the south and goes west towards Orlando and WDW. I have no idea if that is a good alternative or not.

 

[Jacksmom99]

DO NOT TAKE 301!!! We did this in Feb 2005 trying to avoid Daytona. It's fine in the beginning, a rural divided road, 2 lanes on either side, 55mph...lots of speed traps. However, past Gainsville, it's 55mph-stop light-stop light-stop light...55mph-stop ligh-stop light- stop light etc. you get the idea. I would suggest taking rte 10 to 75 if you wanted to go that route. It does seem more out of the way, and I'm not sure how much time you'd save. Do you take 295 around Jacksonville? We've done that to avoid the traffic and construction around that part of 95. I also like 417 better that I4, but I don't know how much time it would save. I've only driven that from the sanford airport.

 

[Robert P]

Jacksmom99 is so right on this one:
That route is one of the few areas in the Southeast that Triple AAA still stamps 'targeted enforcement area' (or such) on their triptiks.
We drove it several years ago, 1 time, and I kid you not, my radar detector stayed on for 75% of the time we were on 301. Then, when we got farther South, it was stoplight city. Stop, go, repeat.....
If you want to skip Jacksonville traffic, go on across 10 to 75, and come down that way. 301 is a rough way to go.

 

[ellenmiele]

Thanks everybody - I think you all saved us from making a big mistake trying rt 301. I think I'll mapquest the distance and time for the 10 to 75 route.

 

[cranbiz]

Although the construction around the Jacksonville area is bad, it did not make an huge difference in drive time. The worst construction is north of Jacksonville, before I10.

I would just stick with I95 to I4 and not go to I10 to I75. I just did this last week and had little to no problems thru to Daytona.