Illinois/Indiana folks: Traffic EB from Joliet, I-80/I-294/I-94?

[NotUrsula]

In a couple of weeks I need to do a road trip from St. Louis to Kalamazoo, and I'm debating routes.
The usual route is I-55N/I-80 to Joliet, then east via I-80/I-294/I-94 up into western Michigan, but I could choose to go further east before heading north.

The last time I did this trip we got stuck for hours in the stretch between Joliet and Gary, Indiana, and I'm wondering if that was a fluke, or typical? We passed Joliet at about 2:30 pm headed EB on a Friday. It was a windy day and overcast, but no real rain or snow, and no major accidents that I could see, which makes me think that it might have been typical?

It's a longer drive to take I-57N or I-70/IN-63/I65N, but I'm wondering if avoiding the foot-of-the-lake traffic might be worth the extra distance? Or ... could I take the usual route north to close to Joliet, but bail onto IL-30 (Lincoln Hwy) to get across to I-65N?

I should say that I HATE sitting motionless in traffic. I really don't mind adding up to 100 miles or so as long as I get to keep moving. Of course, this being winter, snow removal is also a factor, should the weather turn nasty.

I'd be grateful for any advice from those familiar with this area!

 

[Lilacs4Me]

All freeways in the Chicago area will be heavy with rush-hour traffic after 2pm on any weekday. Rush hour starts early here. Especially on the freeways you are talking about.

If it were me, and this is just looking at Google Maps, having zero experience with St. Louis, but could drive the Chicago-Kalamazoo-Detroit route with my eyes closed (been doing it every few months for over 25 years), why wouldn't you take I-70 out of St. Louis to I-69? You can hop onto 94 just east of K-zoo. Google maps marks it at just under 7.5 hours. Your way (taking I-55) is roughly 6.5 hours, but with the Chicago/Indiana traffic ALWAYS a big problem on 80/94, it is probably always longer! You would have *less* worry about lake-effect snow, although you wouldn't be totally out of the woods. K-zoo gets its fair share of it, even though it's farther inland.

Or, maybe I-70 to US20? That would dump you into US131 which will take you right into Kalamazoo. I don't know how much of a "freeway" US20 is, but 131 is pretty wide open, like I-94, etc.

If all is clear, roads are dry, no construction, and no accidents/traffic jams, I can get from my western Chicago suburb to the southern suburbs of Detroit in just under 4 hours. Most of the time, it takes 5-6. It's all about timing, luck, and stupid I-94 IL/IN border traffic. It's horrendous at best. And I hate sitting in stand-still traffic too. It's terrible!

(My Chicago-Detroit route is always 294 South to 94, all the way until we get off the freeway to where we usually stay in MI, which is about 20 min northeast of Ann Arbor. I NEVER, EVER take I-55 to go or get home unless the world is ending...or if I promise my brother an Italian Beef from his favorite place in the city. If we do that, I automatically add another 45-60 minutes to our trip, just to get through downtown on I-55/94).

 

[Dan Murphy]

I would download Waze to your phone and use that ahead of time to get an idea of 3 different possible routes, and then when you are leaving and on the road to get the best route on an ongoing basis. Waze uses regular GPS (it's owned by Google) and gives you very accurate, real-time traffic and possible rerouting as you drive. I have been in Chicago my entire 74 years and use Waze for most any drive I make around here. It has been a travel like saver many times.

Get it now (free) and try it for a few weeks.

 

[NotUrsula]

Thanks, folks! I do use Waze, but in this instance it seems like the alternate routes are best approached at the start of the trip, so it's not as helpful as it otherwise might be, since a LOT can change in nearly 7 hours.

I had a suspicion that the around-the-bottom-of-the-Lake highways were pretty consistently overcrowded; looks like I suspected correctly. I hadn't really considered overshooting to I-69 & doubling back from Battle Creek; have to think about that option, because timing might put us through Indy at rush hour. (Most folks I know here use I-57 as their alternate, but IMO it doesn't seem much better, seeing as how it brings you into the eastbound highway pretty much at Tinley Park.)

 

[morgan98]

Well, in the thread about where you are from, I did say I was from "The Region" which is exactly where you are discussing driving through. Although is full disclosure, I know live in Atlanta. But we were up there for Christmas and these are our old stomping grounds. The stretch from basically the Lincoln Oasis to I-65 can be a c$ap shoot pretty much anytime. However, when it moves, it is a really quick route.

Maybe checking something like Waze is the answer. I-57 is not going to help you avoid the area we are talking about. I agree that you need to commit to taking an alternate ahead of time. I guess I am not much help...lol!

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Well, in the thread about where you are from, I did say I was from "The Region" which is exactly where you are discussing driving through. Although is full disclosure, I know live in Atlanta. But we were up there for Christmas and these are our old stomping grounds. The stretch from basically the Lincoln Oasis to I-65 can be a c$ap shoot pretty much anytime. However, when it moves, it is a really quick route.

Maybe checking something like Waze is the answer. I-57 is not going to help you avoid the area we are talking about. I agree that you need to commit to taking an alternate ahead of time. I guess I am not much help...lol!

Right! Totally agree. There have been times I have flown through there in 20 minutes, and other times where we were at a standstill for 2 hours. It's completely random (rush hour aside when it will always be a disaster), although I will say that delays through that area are much more common than shooting straight through. When we give family/friends estimates of our arrival times in MI, we always add "depending on Indiana traffic" lol because that area is what makes our breaks the timing of our trip!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I do use Waze, but in this instance it seems like the alternate routes are best approached at the start of the trip, so it's not as helpful as it otherwise might be, since a LOT can change in nearly 7 hours

Remember, Waze will update its suggested routes on the fly as traffic loads change on the various routes. I have had it send me on the expressway to go downtown and half way there it will pop me off and on to regular streets and then back on the expressway 5 miles further. And then I hear on the radio about a huge traffic jam I was just routed around.

 

[morgan98]

Right! Totally agree. There have been times I have flown through there in 20 minutes, and other times where we were at a standstill for 2 hours. It's completely random (rush hour aside when it will always be a disaster), although I will say that delays through that area are much more common than shooting straight through. When we give family/friends estimates of our arrival times in MI, we always add "depending on Indiana traffic" lol because that area is what makes our breaks the timing of our trip!

In my prior life, I worked/lived in New Buffalo, MI/Michigan City, IN and my mom lives in Dyer, IN right at the state line. I am all too familiar with that stretch of road!

 

[piglet too]

You could drop off of 80 to 30, and take that to 65 or even 49. Sure, you’ll be in stop-n-go traffic but if 80/94 is at a standstill, it’s a little better. If you decide to take 30, I would exit off of 80 in New Lenox (exit 137) which leads right onto 30, or you can go to exit 145 or 147 and take those south to 30. All three options will take you past a ton of options for places to eat if you need a meal break.