I-95 construction

[sunburnin]

Hi all!

One week from today I'll be driving down to Florida for our cruise on the 25th! Woo hoo!

I just printed out a TripTik on AAA and it shows construction in mid SC byI-26, and near Brunswick, GA and Jacksonville, FL. Anyone driven down that way have some reports on how delayed it's been? We should hit most of it between 10:00am - 2:00pm.

Thanks!

 

[Sheribo]

Jacksonville can be tough. The delay wasn't bad when we drove through very early in the morning - 5am. It has been under construction for the past 3 years and it's a running joke with DH and I. We did get caught there on a Saturday around noon last year and that's why we left earlier this time.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

This thread definitely caught my attention as we are driving down I-95 from NJ to WDW in May. We are planning to arrive in Jacksonsville by early Saturday evening to check into a hotel for most of the night, then depart from Jax at 5:00 AM to get to WDW by 7:00 or 7:30 AM (we like an early start to our day!). So my question is, is there a lot of traffic buildup from the construction coming INTO Jacksonville from the North, or is it more going through the Jacksonville area that is the problem? Supposedly the hotel we're staying at, the Sheraton, is right off 95 so I'm hoping we'll avoid the traffic Saturday night and then be clear going through and leaving Jax at 5:00 AM on a Sunday.

Would love to hear more clarification/advice on this part of the trip or any of the other construction issues on I-95 from NJ to WDW, thanks!

 

[luv2cruisedisney]

Living in Hilton Head SC, the DW and I drive down for either a cruise or the parks several times a year. As on of the other posters has stated that conctruction hav]s been ongoing and I don't think it will ever end

However we have never had anything other than slowdowns in the area. I would just avoid it at the peak times of rush hour for morning and evening.

FYI when you hit mile marker 8 in SC ( Hilton Head ) you have about 4hrs to the parks and about 4.5 to the terminal

 

[Kurby]

good to know - we're leaving next saturday coming from Canada via 79 and 77 then 95 so not looking forward to construction but if memory serves we ran in to it 2 years ago too and being saturday and sunday i don't expect much delay since they won't be doing construction on sunday when we get there.

 

[Mozart]

Construction in Jacksonville and Georgia is just the state of things. They will never be free and clear. That being said, I've never had a traffic jam in Jax that caused us to slow down to less than 35 mph.

Same in Georgia. You'll get a slow truck that noone can pass every once in a while, but at least they keep moving.

Now that wreck that happens on 95 southbound between Charleston and Savannah is unavoidable. It's a 3 hour backup, and it seems like it's always there.

 

[Toddymae]

I came down thru Jacksonville a few months ago - the best way to get around the construction is to take the loop. It was fast and got me around the mess. The hotel manager said it would take 15-20 minutes longer then going thru the city - if the city wasn't under construction. Yes, it seems that the highway is a running joke in Jacksonville. Manager said if they didn't make jokes they'd all cry.

 

[druidia]

I would always take the I-295 bypass vs. going through downtown on I-95. From I-95 southbound, you pick up I-295 Southbound on the north end of Jacksonville around the airport, and it will take you to the south end of town in about 40 minutes if you don't hit it during morning rush hour.

Evening rush hour is not a problem if you are southbound on the I-295 bypass.

I would not recommend anyone from out of town going through on I-95 south right now with all of the construction, poor signage and traffic delays, unless you're looking for the scenic route through downtown.

 

[OurOhana]

My hubby traveled the I-95 corridor Thursday. There were two construction zones in Georgia, both about 10 miles long. The speed limit was 60 mph, and you should watch your speed because the troopers were out. Other than that, Jacksonville has two spots to watch out for. The I95 and 295 exchange and the I95 and I10 interchange. If it's not during rushhour, you shouldn't have a problem. There's no other construction until after the exit for Port Canaveral.

Hope that helps!

 

[Myth-USA]

This thread definitely caught my attention as we are driving down I-95 from NJ to WDW in May. We are planning to arrive in Jacksonsville by early Saturday evening to check into a hotel for most of the night, then depart from Jax at 5:00 AM to get to WDW by 7:00 or 7:30 AM (we like an early start to our day!). So my question is, is there a lot of traffic buildup from the construction coming INTO Jacksonville from the North, or is it more going through the Jacksonville area that is the problem? Supposedly the hotel we're staying at, the Sheraton, is right off 95 so I'm hoping we'll avoid the traffic Saturday night and then be clear going through and leaving Jax at 5:00 AM on a Sunday.

Would love to hear more clarification/advice on this part of the trip or any of the other construction issues on I-95 from NJ to WDW, thanks!

Well, being a citizen of the aforementioned city (Jacksonville), I can assure you that if you are leaving at 5 a.m. on Sunday, traffic will not be a problem.
The exception to this of course is if some idiot decides to tie up the interstate due to an accident....

I work downtown and negotiate the construction 5 days a week. You should not have a problem caused by construction...

Safe travelling.........

 

[sunburnin]

Thank you everyone for your insights!

Can't wait!

 

[BurghFan111]

Great thread. My wife to be and I will be driving down (too much crap to fly) from Delaware in September for our DCL wedding. I'm glad to hear the delays are minimal. The 295 tip sounds like a good one. However we will be stopping and spending a night in Hilton Head since my beloved Steelers are playing the night we drive down.

 

[Quagmire]

Driving through Georgia is always an adventure since 95 is always under construction. Hopefully you'll get lucky and not get stuck there. Good luck.

 

[dta87]

In 25 days we will be on our way down. Hopefully we hit everything at the right time.

 

[erinlees_mommie]

Traffic on I95 isn't bad if you keep up with the other vehicles
I live just N of Jax and go through the construction all the time and try to do the 55 posted speed and well..I almost get ran over...LOL So I just go with the flow.
I95 is always under construction.We have been stationed here 3 times in 9 years and they have been working on the road at I95 and I10 forever it seems..but it is looking nice

 

[itutorfortravel]

I think it can be hit or miss. We traveled down to FL from NC on the 8th and had no problems whatsoever. But yesterday coming home was a different story...the trip took us 2 hours longer than it usually does. But it was a spring break weekend and we saw at least one accident in that stretch of highway...even with a delay, it is so worth it to be able to go on Mickey's boat!

 

[erinlees_mommie]

And if in doubt call 511 from your cell phone.They will tell you if there are any delays or road closures.

 

[jfahome]

I recently moved from Jacksonville to Raleigh NC. I have made and continue to make this trip very frequently. I can tell you (just as everyone has) the construction never goes away. If traveling the speed limit, it will take about 3 hours to get from boarder to boarder SC-GA. Then 2 hours (appx) to get from the north GA boarder to Jacksonville. If you are going through Jax on the weekends, construction won't be a problem. You will have a small slow down when you have to make a slow hard left turn in downtown Jax to stay on I95, but it's simple really. Then 2 1/2 hours to Port Canaveral. There are two main construction areas in GA that don't TYPICALLY hold up traffic, just depends honestly on what they are doing that specific day. I can't remember being held up for it on my many trips though. Slows the speed some, but minimal really. Hope this helps...we'll be joining the road trip for our May 2nd cruise.