How heavy is the traffic on Aviation Pkwy around the airport at 5pm?

What about Pleasant Grove Church Rd?

I'm trying to find some alternate routes from the Durham/RTP area to Cary. If anybody who travels that route or works in that area has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.

9/19/2006 12:00:31 PM

Aviation Parkway SUCKS during 5p traffic, because it's one lane once you pass the 40E/W interchange. Find some other way to go.

9/19/2006 12:01:47 PM

i40 and 54 are the 2 most common ways because they are the fastest...

9/19/2006 12:04:51 PM

I went 54 yesterday and it took me over an hour, I don't know if this is the norm, or if something was going on....Usually I take 40E, and can make it home in about 35-45 minutes on a good day. But if there's an accident, or on Fridays it can get pretty bad, I'm just wondering if there is a better way.

9/19/2006 12:09:04 PM

where from in RTP? that's a pretty large area.

9/19/2006 12:20:00 PM

aviation around 5 isnt too bad, aviation shortly after 5, say 5:15 is terrible

you wouldnt think it makes much of a difference but it does!

good luck try getting off at airport blvd exit and taking 54 in from there

about your only other option less you go down 40 farther to harrison ave

9/19/2006 12:28:04 PM

I'm coming from Downtown Durham.

I wondering if taking Page Rd to Aviation Pkwy or Pleasant Grove Church Rd to Aviation Pkwy then turning left onto Evans Rd just past the 40E/W exchange will be any faster. I'm afraid that Aviation Pkwy around the airport will be terrible, though.

9/19/2006 12:31:50 PM

it depends on where in RTP you are, and where in Cary you're trying to get to.

I live near downtown cary, Harrison Ave & Chapel Hill Rd, and I work at Davis Drive & Hopson Rd in RTP. In the mornings I take Chapel Hill Rd to Morrisville Pkwy to Davis Drive to get to work.

In the afternoons I generally take Davis Drive to I-40 to Harrison Ave to get home. Sometimes when I know traffic will be bad, I'll go davis drive back to Morrisville Pkwy through Preston, up James Jackson, Maynard, to Chapel Hill Rd to get home.

Yesterday however, was an exception. There was a huge multi-vehicle accident on Westbound I-40 between Harrison Ave and Aviation Pkwy. I think there was a bus involved as well, and it looked like the accident spilled over the center median into the left lane of eastbound I-40. Traffic was backed up all the way past Davis Drive on the eastbound side, and far out of sight from what I could tell on the westbound side of 40.

It took me 50 minutes to get home yesterday, my norm commute is 25min or so.

[Edited on September 19, 2006 at 12:36 PM. Reason : ^ where in Cary are you trying to get to? ]

9/19/2006 12:36:15 PM

Near the intersection of 54/Maynard

9/19/2006 12:40:04 PM

ok, it looks like the most direct route for you would be I-40 to Aviation Pkwy to Evans Rd to Maynard, but you could also try from durham, taking 55 south to High House Rd to Maynard.

I'm not sure what the status of construction/widening on Hwy-55 is though.

Yesterday was an exception to the rule though, traffic was exceptionally bad on account of that huge accident. Any accident along I-40 will do that though, if its one car or 20 cars that are wrecked.

Another thing to keep in mind is the real slowdowns on I-40 east in the afternoons are at I-40/Page Rd/540 until you get under the bridge at 540, then starting at I-40 and Harrison Ave through the Wade Ave split. Those two places will be the most congested along your I-40 commute.

9/19/2006 12:46:00 PM

Aviation is a parking lot at 5pm.

What I would do is 54(or 55, get them confused)-->kit creek ---> Davis---> left onto aviation going towards 40--->right onto evans and then you're money.

9/19/2006 1:32:42 PM

Quote :

"There was a huge multi-vehicle accident on Westbound I-40 between Harrison Ave and Aviation Pkwy. I think there was a bus involved as well, and it looked like the accident spilled over the center median into the left lane of eastbound I-40. Traffic was backed up all the way past Davis Drive on the eastbound side, and far out of sight from what I could tell on the westbound side of 40."

naw not huge, 3 vehicles, 1 was a TTA bus, minor injuries, 2 transported. no vehicles involved on the EB lanes, just RUBBER NECKERS that caused the huge backups... it's times like that where I feel the state should put up visual barriers between the lanes, as there should have been no greater backups than normal on the EB lanes.. just freaking people being nosey, 2 lanes shut down WB, backed up past gorman...

but back on subject which 54/Maynard? SE/NE or NW? Avaition to Evans can back up pretty good in the evenings as well. you could always take 55 to morrisville carpenter to davis to morrisville pkwy to 54? don't know if that works for you

9/19/2006 1:55:44 PM

takes me 10 minutes to get home at 5pm

suckers

9/19/2006 4:08:32 PM

I sneak around through durham, and get to TW Alexander...but we live in Brier Creek so thats easiest.

[Edited on September 19, 2006 at 4:14 PM. Reason : But you're going to Cary...so my idea sucks.]

9/19/2006 4:13:54 PM

^ it's actually faster depending on where you live in Raleigh as well. I live off 70 and TWA dumps you right off on it not too far from where you'd have to do 40 to 540 to 70 - which can all get traffic heavy.

9/19/2006 4:15:53 PM