Turnpike's verses US Highways...

I have been looking at the routes I want to travel around the New England states and I find a lot of toll roads. Even the Interstate Highways are toll roads.

When I am planning a route to my next destination I plan it to avoid toll roads. While in the DC area I found that many of the bridges have an $4 to $8 Toll.

I was wndering how many of you use the toll roads and what you pay when pulling your trailer and how many of you try to avoid the toll roads.

I was looking at the route from the Rally in Varona NY to Elkhart and there is a toll roads all the way. I-90 and I-80.. I thought we paid for these roads in our taxes.

BC

I try to avoid Toll Roads where possible. Usually I use the internet to figure the miles saved by using the Toll Road vs another route. Many times it's only a few miles and not worth it. Time usually isn't an issue for me. The worst is I-95 thru Delaware, I believe it's around 15 miles and pulling your Trailer will cost you about $16. Not worth it to me, I use a non-toll route .

I love the toll roads I have used. Not the cost but the convenience and improved travel time.. I would suggest the Toll 130 around Austin Texas. If you get caught in any traffic around Austin on I 35 it can take hrs to get through and traffic is a real mess. Also like the Toll around Denver. We got caught in Denver on I-25 a few years ago.. never again.

Many of the roads in the northeast have low clearances as well so what out for that. Be sure to go to the bank and get a loan before running the turnpike from PA to IN. It will run around $50.00. Also there are no exits to get service like the toll roads in the south as the service areas are in the middle of the turnpike. Kinda odd for us southern boys.

They are a convienence but you have to pay the toll. I am going to the Ny rally NY Thruway $$$$$$ And I am going to Elkhart and the Ill. rally. So tonight In am going over to Ny state to get an E-Z Pass. Nothing like going thru the toll booths at 20 mph. E-Z Pass is good in 14 states in the NE.

We have used them but it is not worth the money as the roads most of the time are in bad shape.

jmh

TXBobcat said:

I have been looking at the routes I want to travel around the New England states and I find a lot of toll roads. Even the Interstate Highways are toll roads.

When I am planning a route to my next destination I plan it to avoid toll roads. While in the DC area I found that many of the bridges have an $4 to $8 Toll.

I was wndering how many of you use the toll roads and what you pay when pulling your trailer and how many of you try to avoid the toll roads.

I was looking at the route from the Rally in Varona NY to Elkhart and there is a toll roads all the way. I-90 and I-80.. I thought we paid for these roads in our taxes.

BC

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i would find another route because I-80 from I-75 to elkhart exit cost me $18 and that is not very far so i assume the cost would be steep to say the least

EZ Pass is a wonderful thing! However, beware, on our trip to Elkhart from Virginia, the combined tolls for PA, OH, and IN were right at $60 (5 axles). That was a shocker! We we went to New York a few years ago, it was about $100 round trip. You definitely pay for the convenience of time.

From here upstate NY is hard to stay away from tolls. To elkhart I have some options. I just don't like waiting in line.

jmgratz said:

Many of the roads in the northeast have low clearances as well so what out for that. Be sure to go to the bank and get a loan before running the turnpike from PA to IN. It will run around $50.00. Also there are no exits to get service like the toll roads in the south as the service areas are in the middle of the turnpike. Kinda odd for us southern boys.

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I think 80 across PA is still Toll free.

Ohio costs 14-20 bucks depending on your weight. And there is not much of a choice to go around that.

And if you have a toy haluer, with a bike in the back, with an ez-pass - guess what?

Duane you are right. 80 in PA is toll free. PA is not allowed to make it a toll. They tried...not allowed.

When we left Florida NY, I set my Garmin 465t to Semi and checked to avoid tollroads. I drove about 20 miles further, but I took some US highways that were for the most part very smooth, very little traffic and the scenery was wonderful. Only some construction but none of the pavement was rough and a lot of it was new asphalt. We took 209, 28, 38 and then got on I88 and it was the worst road in the trip. Did not realize it but we went through the Catskills. This was a lot better route than on the Interstate. Traffic was light most of the way and we seldom got up above 60. Nice trip.

Might look for a similar route to Elkhart.

BC

dieselsweetheart said:

Duane you are right. 80 in PA is toll free. PA is not allowed to make it a toll. They tried...not allowed.

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Thats good, 'cause I'll be on it tomorrow.

yep. 80 thru pa is free. once you got to ohio there is lots of options. 80/90 in ohio is a toll road. if you take 76 over thru akron to lodi, OH you can pick up SR-224 or go south on I-71 to rt 30. while 224 and 30 are not major highways they are in very good condition with very little traffic or lights to slow you down. 55 mph thru most of it. goes thru a few small towns with slower limits but for the most part both these roads are thru pretty open farm land and both dump you into indiana in the fort wayne area.
if asked to choose, even though its a bit out of the way i would say 30 is the better of the 2. not because of condition but because 224 makes a few turns in some of those towns to stay on it where 30 is basically a straight shot!

a great map to get is the rand mcnally motor carriers atlas. this has all truck rts marked in yellow so you know its safe to take the camper down it. it also has a reference guide to all restricted routes and why they are restricted. due to weight, height, width etc! i find it a great way to cross reference what the GPS is telling me. even though i have the garmin 465T set in truck mode is isnt totally reliable!

ohio does tend to be a VERY truck friendly state so MOST roads are good there, which makes it easy to avoid those tolls!

At one time during in my life I ran a Big Truck (OTR) and ran the upper East Coast a lot. To run Toll roads you will have to have deep pockets. About as for East we go now is to Elkhart, we try to avoid East of the Big River. The old saying is we have been there and done that. The West is just to Big and we still haven't seen it all (part of 4 years) in the West. We prefer the West much more than anyplace we have Traveled. We have travel from Canada to Key West. Its beautiful but can't compare with the West. Of course I think I was borned 100 years to late. I still believe in the old saying "Go West Young Man" God used a Huge Brush in painting the West. And as Ian Tyson says "C.M Russell" was Gods gift to the West. GBY....

Well it looks like I may try debh's suggestion if I get I can leave Goshen early enough. It will add about an hour and 30 miles, but it might be a nice diversion.

And I saw huge traffic jam heading east in Ohio getting near PA on 80 yesterday.