Ever get trapped on the interstate?

[Cindy's Mom]

one time for about 2 hours. one our way to a college football recruiting visit (would have been our 4th invite back) I believe it was 65. We always allow extra time when travelling, but we were still an hour late. Son was texting his recruiter but that wasn't who we were meeting with. Coach told my son that just fess up the you forgot about the time change. He was livid, then he told me and I was livid. Son said "f them" and we left. They called him while we were in the car home and he said he can't play for a coach that doesn't believe him.

 

[Cadiewampus]

Yep about 7 years ago when Atlanta had a massive snow storm. End up with close to 20". Any way left work around noon which is 25 miles from the house. Took me 11 hours to get home.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I mean, I live in the Bay Area, so a lot! And feels like anytime we go to LA.

But the two that stick out to me was in the Waldo Tunnel due to head on collision on the Golden Gate. We missed our flight after we sat parked for hours.

More recently was I-15 between LA and Vegas due to a head on collision that closed both directions. In the middle of the summer. I think the 3.5 hr drive took us 9.

 

[Wandering Oaken]

I use Google Maps all the time. I know where I am going but I use to avoid this sort of thing on the highways.

In Indiana (At least in my area) they will bring out a State Farm INDOT truck and put cones on the opposite side of the highway just before a median crossing and they slow the oncoming traffic and then the police will direct the cars to start doing a u-turn there to go back to the last exit for a detour. But they only do this for serious accidents that they know will cause a long delay.

 

[aby914]

In the late '90s, my husband got caught behind a small plane landing on GA-400 (ATL area). The plane landed safely, but needless to say, there was a backup.

 

[kdonnel]

In the late '90s, my husband got caught behind a small plane landing on GA-400 (ATL area). The plane landed safely, but needless to say, there was a backup.

I remember that day. A guy from my office was caught within sight of the plane.

 

[fla4fun]

Yes. When I was young, we came down to Florida for a beach vacation and decided to go to WDW one day. We had to cross Tampa Bay on the Howard Frankland Bridge (I-275). On the way back, there was an accident on the bridge involving a couple of those big sand hauling dump trucks and they dumped their loads, which had to be hand shoveled into trucks to clear the roadway. It was June, it was hot, and we were stuck on the bridge for more than four hours. I remember when we finally got off the bridge we stopped for dinner and kept drinking pitcher after pitcher of water.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I never again put off bathroom stops.

Wise advice!

Now, everytime we face a slowdown, someone asks "do you think it's another ham truck?!"

Stuck before, but thankfully nothing too epic (fingers crossed and knocking on wood so as not to jinx myself!)

I do live in southeastern Mass, though:

 

[Kellykins1218]

Coming back from Disney a few years ago we got stuck on 77 in Virginia right before the tunnel. By the time I realized we were stopping, I saw we were passing a rest area. Then I realized the entrance ramp for it was actually past it (I've never seen another one where the ramp wasn't before the rest area) so I hurried and got off. We totally lucked out there because traffic didn't move for almost 5 hours. My kids ran all over the place, rolled down hills, we got snacks and ice cream from the machines, had restrooms, and I found an outlet to charge their tablets. It would've sucked to be stuck on the road. The rest area was packed. Every bit of parking lot was covered and there were cars in the grass. It was crazy.

 

[ChrisFL]

good time to post this classic

 

[loves to dive]

Not me but hubby got stuck in the Atlanta ice storm. He and a colleague were coming home from Chattanooga and thought when they left Chattanooga they would avoid the worst of the storm. Wrong.

It did take us 45 min. longer than usual (which is normally anywhere from 45 min to a hour) to get through Atlanta Wens. We were pulling the RV and thought we had timed it right to avoid rush hour but evidently rush hour is every hour now. You haven't lived until you are pulling a RV over spaghetti junction. Unfortunately, if you live in Athens and you want to go north, it's almost impossible to avoid Atlanta, even though it is south of us. Mama used to say even if you were going to he!!!**** you had to go through Atlanta.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Once in Chicago. Someone didn't like my singing.

 

[wilbret]

Hopped on I-85 to go to the mall and half way between exits hit a wall of traffic. It took 3 hours to go the 3 miles to the next exit.

There had just been a fatality accident that closed all lanes southbound and most lanes northbound.

I’ve seen news reports about hours long delays, just never been stuck in one until today.

Since I know you are ATL, you'll get it.

Snowmageddon.
5 hours from Lenox Road to Abernathy.
Hopped on train to North Springs, no more buses running.
Got back on train, returned to Buckhead.
Spent the night in the office with about 20 other stranded folks.

Many folks weren't as lucky!
Photo of getting on the road, and of abandoned cars the next morning. Thousands and thousands of them!


And a picture of the ice for the folks that don't understand why snow is a problem in the south. Snow. Melt. Freeze. Melt. Freeze. It's a mess.

 

[kdonnel]

good time to post this classic

How little has changed in 56 years.

56 years later and the roads are still full of
driverus timidicus
negiltoris maximus
motoramius figitus
and
stupidicus ultimus

 

[kdonnel]

Since I know you are ATL, you'll get it.

Snowmageddon.

Luckily Gwinnett was spared the disaster that day. I left work around noon and had no issues getting home. The Gwinnett schools narrowly escaped disaster that day and were also able to get all the kids home.

 

[AndreaDM]

Yes, freak blizzard between Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA in APRIL! They actually closed the interstate and forced us off an exit. Tried to get a hotel but power was out everywhere, spent the night with 3 kids in a van in a McDonalds parking lot. I guess not technically ON the interstate, but we could not get home to NE Ohio.

 

[Orion Nebula]

They closed the highway once on my way home for four hours, with no way for people to get off the highway. At one point I saw people walking dogs... and some even relieving themselves behind the tall grass in the ditches. It felt like one of those post apocalyptic movies. I am so glad I didn't have to pee.

 

[kdonnel]

Yes, freak blizzard between Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA in APRIL! They actually closed the interstate and forced us off an exit. Tried to get a hotel but power was out everywhere, spent the night with 3 kids in a van in a McDonalds parking lot. I guess not technically ON the interstate, but we could not get home to NE Ohio.

Sounds horrible!

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Yrs
Highway closing due to flooding - 6 hrs
Ice storm - 3 hrs
In Florida - motorcycle accident - 3 hrs
Car blown up on highway (mob fighting ) - 6 hrs
Countless accidents anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3
Chicago traffics trying to get To/From airport during rush hour - 2 hrs or more
Often wish I could fly - makes me so sad about accidents having been in a bad one I know what life changing damage they can do

 

[tazdev3225]

I've been stuck in traffic a few times but the one that is memorable was in August 1998. I was racing back home to Philly from my brother's house in VA. My son had called to tell me my grandson was on his way to making his appearance, several weeks early, and I had to get home. We hit heavy rainstorms the torrential you can't see your hand in front of your face type storms all the way up I 95. The storms were moving South to North so we kept driving into them. Then something happened and we were stuck in the Baltimore tunnel for about 30 minutes. I am extremely claustrophobic and have a fear of those tunnels collapsing as it is.

I left Virginia at 9 AM and got home at around 3:45 PM. It's normally a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive. It took me 6 1/2 hours. On the plus side I got to the hospital with about 30 minutes to spare to see my first grandchild. His birth will always be memorable.