Any Roads To Avoid On Way To Epping?

[Eric Merryfield]

Originally Posted by jwsamuel

I'll be heading up to Epping from the Philly area tomorrow. My planned route is 287, across the Tappan Zee, up the thruway to the Mass Pike and than up to Epping.

Are there any roads to avoid going that way?

Thanks!

Not really. You should still be very careful if towing on 495 N in Chelmsford for the bridges, and at all bridges crossing the merrimac river, they can be pretty brutal. This goes for southbound too, even more so.

Whether you get stuck in my rush hour commute on 495 is a question of timing. The rush hour starts around 3:30 and runs until 6:30 or so.

The other thing of note is that there is nighttime paving going on on 495 north, so you could hit a touch of lane reduction, maybe southbound too now or soon.

If you are taking 287 to 87 to 90 other than crossing the river twice, its very smooth sailing with plenty of big rig friendly fuel stops on 87 and on the pike. From 90 you can take 290 to 495 or 90 to 495.

Most take 125 in to 101 to get to the track, from my house in andover(along 495) you are looking at 29 miles, but 125 has lights, lots of places to eat, gas stations, supermarkets, etc. If you want to skip lights, stay on 495 N to 95N then get onto 101 towards epping ie away from the beach. About the same amount of time, 13 miles further and a toll.

Eric