Jacksonville, FL question...

[Beast]

I looked to see if this has been asked before and didn't find anything. I apologize if this is the 10,000th time this has been asked.

I've been checking several (reliable) route planners. All of them tell me that, while driving south on I-95, when I reach Jacksonville, I should STAY ON I-95 instead of taking the by-pass around it (I-295).

Now, I'm not at all familiar with the Jacksonville area so I don't know if this is a good move or not. Example: We used to take the Richmond (VA) bypass for years when we were on I-64. A few years ago, during road construction, I totally missed the bypass and ended up staying on I-64 with no problems whatsoever! Made me wonder why there was a bypass in the first place.

Anyway, what should we do? Go through Jacksonville on I-95 or go around it on I-295?

Thanks in advance for all the help and advise.

 

[dioxide45]

Route planners like MapQuest and such will always take you on the quickest route. They don't anticipate traffic delays or backups. So the straight shot through Jacksonville would always be quicker than the bypass out and around. Others with more experience of the area may be able to tell you more about the driving conditions through Jacksonville. We usually opt for the direct route through in these types of situations rather than out and around. Atlanta was one place we took the bypass but actually wished we had stayed on 75 and gone straight through.

The reason you probably did fine going through Richmond is because there is a bypass. If there wasn't and everyone was just taking the same road through, it would have been a nightmare. The bypasses balance out the traffic load.

 

[Robert P]

I looked to see if this has been asked before and didn't find anything. I apologize if this is the 10,000th time this has been asked.

I've been checking several (reliable) route planners. All of them tell me that, while driving south on I-95, when I reach Jacksonville, I should STAY ON I-95 instead of taking the by-pass around it (I-295).


Anyway, what should we do? Go through Jacksonville on I-95 or go around it on I-295?

Thanks in advance for all the help and advise.

Traveling outside traditional rush hours, or on the w/e, I would say stay on I-95. We've taken the beltway/bypass route on occasion, and it is fine, but we only used it last trip b/c we were coming through after 4:00 p.m on a Friday.

 

[Alexander]

We prefer to stay on 95. It is actually about 20-30 minutes longer to go around. Unless you are passing through JAX during peak rush hour, I would recommend staying on 95. We have done both.

 

[Carriemel]

That 295 bypass is a LOT farther around than it appears...it's a nice ride, though...and quite scenic.

If you're not going through Jax at rush hours - 7am-10am or 3pm-7pm, you'll be fine staying on the 95.

One warning, though...WATCH YOUR SPEED. Cops are EVERYWHERE and WILL get you if you're over the speed limit.

 

[Beast]

Alexander and Carriemel,

Thanks you! That's exactly the kind of information that I was looking for. Definite and specific. THANK YOU!