I am starting a new job in Chapel Hill and I want to know the quickest way to a place off of exit 270 (Eastowne Drive) WITHOUT taking I-40. I live on Gorman Street.

I have already googled it and looked around on the maps to spy out a route, but I'm open to suggestions. I just don't want to deal with I-40 traffic early in the morning unless I have to.

2/7/2007 8:26:24 AM

The morning ain't so bad, it's the afternoon rush that's a killer.

2/7/2007 8:29:00 AM

you're probably the first person to think of this. I bet all the back roads will be completely open while all the sheep just flock onto 40

2/7/2007 8:29:45 AM

I used to live near Cameron Village and commuted to exit 270 also. I-40 is the way to go. You're going to hit some congestion between the Wade Ave split and RTP but it keeps moving unless there is a big wreck.

Consider the alternatives - Glenwood to Hwy 70 to 15-501 - 2 lanes most of the way and a crapload of stoplights until you hit 15-501.

Hwy 54 - Snakes all around Cary and lots of stoplights.

Just bite the bullet and do 40 man.

The only real pain during my year doing that commute was Friday after work trying to get to Raleigh, sometimes I would just work late or get dinner with friends on Chapel Hill and head home at 7.

-- Dave

2/7/2007 8:32:56 AM

Dig straight down.

2/7/2007 8:40:38 AM

and don't come back!

2/7/2007 9:43:32 AM

its the ride home thats going to kill you. you could take 15-501 to 85 to 70 and come in that way, but it probably wont be any faster. you could also take the back roads over to 64 and come back that way but it will be a lot longer. dont plan on jumping on to 54 to avoid traffic, it isnt designed for it and backs up anytime 40 does.

2/7/2007 9:45:11 AM

40 is the absolutely only way, especially since your job is just off of the highway anyway

2/7/2007 9:51:38 AM

I40 FTW.

2/7/2007 10:00:02 AM

MY suggestion is that if they let you flex hours, try to work slightly off rush hours, and definetly try to avoid friday evening traffic, just stay in chapel hill for dinner/party then come back late. No matter if you take I-40 at 5:30 or 7:30 you're still gonna end up home around 8.

2/7/2007 11:01:14 AM

^ what he said

2/7/2007 11:05:47 AM

If you want to drive further you can take 64 I suppose. I work just south of Chapel Hill and I take 64 to Farrington/Mt Carmel Church Rd. But it probably won't save you anytime over using 40 to where you're trying to get to.

2/7/2007 11:33:38 AM

go west til you smell it, then north til you step in it

2/7/2007 12:06:00 PM

^^That's 54, not 64.

2/7/2007 12:12:34 PM

where in chapel hill are you working?

depending on where you need to go, exit 273 can be faster sometimes

2/7/2007 12:27:01 PM

^^ no, its 64. I take it everyday. He could take 54, but I was talking about 64

2/7/2007 12:34:10 PM

Transporter beam?

2/7/2007 12:36:28 PM

when you are in your cubicle stare at the clock and squint and strain and you will be transported to raleigh

it works, i saw it on heroes

2/7/2007 1:13:49 PM

According to Steets and Trips, without traffic the I-40 route takes 22 minutes, the quickest route that avoids I-40 takes 50 minutes. There just isn't any way you can make up that gap unless I-40 is shut down to one lane or something.

[Edited on February 7, 2007 at 3:02 PM. Reason : .]

2/7/2007 3:02:11 PM

i used to make the commute from not far from there and it never took me more than 40 minutes taking the backroads. i know when 40 was backed up it was about equal for time.

2/7/2007 3:03:55 PM

where are you working?

I work off of Eastowne Drive as well.

The 1-40 traffic isnt that bad except for Miami Blvd and the far right lane near exit 273A.

From that location, 40 is definitely your best bet.

2/7/2007 3:05:37 PM

Getting to CH without going on 40 at all.... You can take 70 and go through RTP, though the traffic will be kinda heavy there too... then take 54 to chapel hill

then take 15-501 to get there

[Edited on February 7, 2007 at 3:44 PM. Reason : .]

2/7/2007 3:41:19 PM

Take the mono-rail.

2/7/2007 3:44:07 PM

commit a sin, then die

2/7/2007 4:33:43 PM

When I-40 was at a standstill I have gone over to Pittsboro and taken 64 back to Raleigh. Probably didn't save me any time, but I'll drive in the wrong direction as long as it means I'm actually moving.

You can take 15-501 to the Durham Freeway (147.) The freeway usually isn't backed up as bad as 40, but it will merge you right back onto 40 at Davis Dr. From there you can pick up 540 to 70 and take Duraleigh off of 70.

2/7/2007 4:41:32 PM

The Fag Express

2/7/2007 5:00:18 PM

54 runs parallel(and crosses) I40, but that's only of use when 40 is at a standstill and you have to take a quick exit. Otherwise stick to the 40, when it's working it's the fastest.

2/7/2007 5:10:11 PM

Oh god...thats like 15 mins more after RTP.

Move.

2/7/2007 5:12:36 PM

Quote :

"You can take 15-501 to the Durham Freeway (147.) The freeway usually isn't backed up as bad as 40, but it will merge you right back onto 40 at Davis Dr. From there you can pick up 540 to 70 and take Duraleigh off of 70."

if you go to all that way on 15-501, just stay on it until it merges with I85 north and take the 70 East split on the east side of Durham. At least cut across Alexander parkway between 147 and 70.

2/7/2007 5:26:20 PM

Follow the smell of lattes and bran muffins.

2/7/2007 5:27:38 PM

follow the "trail of" psycho T's "tears"

[Edited on February 7, 2007 at 5:32 PM. Reason : a]

2/7/2007 5:32:27 PM

Thanks for the input...

My original plan was try and find a backway to the job, but I'm just going to stick to 40 and try to find an alternate route incase of an accident or whatnot.

what is your average driving time during 8am or 5pm from chapel hill to raleigh (or vise versa) via I-40?

2/7/2007 6:26:58 PM

it can be 30 minutes to one hour plus any day

[Edited on February 7, 2007 at 7:25 PM. Reason : sdf]

2/7/2007 7:24:52 PM

Something I've found recently which makes traffic easier ... books on tape. I can't find a "good" Raleigh radio station I like ... several OK ones, but not a "good" one to my taste. I actually look forward to the drive to and from work now ... get about an hour of "reading" in a day.

And stick to the left lane until you get past exit 283 going either direction.

[Edited on February 7, 2007 at 7:37 PM. Reason : .]

2/7/2007 7:37:03 PM

Helicopter.

2/7/2007 7:52:50 PM

satellite radio

2/7/2007 8:05:15 PM

toaster

2/7/2007 8:16:06 PM

Does the TTA pass near your work? I really like parking at the Park and Ride lot by the fairgrounds and riding the bus (much less stressful) to Chapel Hill-- even though it doesn't really save me any time, it saves me gas and road-rage). Plus, if you have a State id you can ride for free (students and staff). Otherwise, it's $1.

2/8/2007 8:16:20 AM

doesnt it take forever and involve transferring busses in rtp?

2/8/2007 8:17:27 AM

Since I go to campus in Chapel Hill, it has worked well (as far as no transfers)-- I'd guess you'd have to check the website to see if there's an express bus near your location or not. Also, I think it might depend on where you catch the bus at: it probably is a pain from downtown Raleigh, but it's not so much from the lot near the fairgrounds...

2/8/2007 8:21:35 AM

there is no way in hell i would ride a bus from raleigh to chapel hill for work

2/8/2007 9:11:34 AM

plus the traffics not that bad on I40 anyway, friday afternoon is the worse, but still it's nothing compared to a remotely large city.

2/8/2007 9:13:24 AM

http://www.mapquest.com

http://www.google.com/maps

http://www.yahoo.com/maps

ALL FTW

2/8/2007 9:13:37 AM

disclaimer, this wont help anyone but its a story about TTA saving the day for me once

i will always have love for the TTA because back when i was in college, a coworker left the company vehicle at my house for some reason. so i was stuck driving back to southern village in CH, and a coworker was gonna drop me home on brent road.

well it was raining like hell, and the wipers on the tahoe stopped working, so i pulled over. then next thing i knew the electrical completely failed and i was stuck. i think i ended up stuck right where wade merges off at 289. and guess who didnt have their cell phone. (side note when i totalled my sentra in november i didnt have my phone on me either. every time i forget i end up actually needing it)

anyways, theres nothing off that exit, so i start headed back toward 290 to walk up to somewhere to do something. so i was walking down, and a TTA bus stopped and asked if i needed a ride, and picked me up, and drove me all the way to near papa johns on hillsborough and i took the wolfline home. he preached to me about jesus all the way back but it was ok. he was off work i guess, and headed back to drop off the bus? cause i was the only soul on that bus

i will be forever grateful to the TTA

2/8/2007 9:36:16 AM

I think your biggest timesaver in your trip to work will be DO NOT GET ON I-40 AT GORMAN STREET in the morning. This may not affect you, but if you get onto I-40 West from Wade Ave its a much quicker trip in the mornings.

For some reason, every morning I used to drive from Lake Park to RTP, I got on I-40 at Gorman and it was a clusterfuck all the way to the Wade Ave merge. There were never any wrecks, or anything worth slowing traffic down, it was always just painfully slow.

Depending on where you are on Gorman, get onto the 440 Inner Beltline, get of at Wade Ave, then merge onto I-40 west from there. That'll save you a good 10 mins commute time, or at least the frustration of not sitting in 5mph traffic while a bunch of morons drive slow on I-40.

2/8/2007 12:35:49 PM