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rebelstand · 12-09-2010, 07:14 AM

We are in the process of planning our christmas trip. We have several options and a lot depends on weather but I was wondering if anyone could tell us what the conditions on these roads are:

I-20 between Dallas, TX and Mobile, AL was like.

I-40 from Oklahoma to Memphis, TN. And while I don't know what I-40 is like east of OKC, I do know from personal experience that I-40 in west OKC is a washboard experience.

Also has anyone been on I-10 lately?

Thanks!

SteveH · 12-09-2010, 07:41 AM

I can tell you I40 in Eastern Louisiana is very rough. I10 in Texas is pretty good if you can deal with the Houston traffic. I10 in Louisiana has been pretty rough in the past, but I've not been on it in a few years and they were working on it.

The last time a came down I30 to Dallas, it was in pretty good shape, save a little construction in a couple of towns, but it wasn't bad.

Also took I20 from Dallas East to where I55 goes North, and I don't remember any problems on it.

Ahab · 12-09-2010, 07:56 AM

I-10 is fine. I-30 is ok, road work in some areas. I'd stay away from I-40, it's not only rough but gets hit with all the nasty weather.

thecatsandi · 12-09-2010, 08:14 AM

I-40 is ok. It is a major trucking route from coast to coast.

68 TWind · 12-09-2010, 08:53 AM

40 is OK, as stated above, lots of truck traffic. If possible avoid Memphis during the rush hour as the south leg around Memphis is congested until get well into Mississippi. I55 south to Jackson is a good road, not much traffic compared to I-40.

Journalist · 12-09-2010, 09:39 AM

I-20 runs through Birmingham, not Mobile. I-10 is pretty good for most of the stretch between TX and FL.

rebelstand · 12-09-2010, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Journalist

I-20 runs through Birmingham, not Mobile. I-10 is pretty good for most of the stretch between TX and FL.

Sorry, I think of the routes by the cities I go through. I just put the wrong exit city down. Not surprising when you consider there are more than a few options for this trip......

**moosetags** · 12-09-2010, 10:59 AM

I-10 all the way across Florida is in great shape. There is some construction, but not causing any problems.

Brian

rebelstand · 12-09-2010, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

I-10 all the way across Florida is in great shape. There is some construction, but not causing any problems.

Brian

That is great to hear. I had heard else where that someone avoids it because he always gets a flat tire.

slowmover · 12-09-2010, 10:18 PM

20 is always the best choice for the trade-off of traffic and road surface. But Dallas and Atlanta can change your mind about it. 40 is a great road east of Memphis, and Nashville not bad (do some trip planning about times/routes). 10 is always a bear.

I don't consider any of them a problem, in truth. If I want scenery, I choose US-82

U.S. Route 82 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

.

**moosetags** · 12-09-2010, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelstand

That is great to hear. I had heard else where that someone avoids it because he always gets a flat tire.

We travel on I-10 often between Pensacola and Jacksonville (362 miles). We made the trip just last week. I have never had a flat on I-10 in Florida.

Brian

Journalist · 12-10-2010, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

We travel on I-10 often between Pensacola and Jacksonville (362 miles). We made the trip just last week. I have never had a flat on I-10 in Florida.

Brian

I'm originally from Pensacola and have family all over the area. I've never had a flat on I-10 either. No telling how many thousands of miles I've travelled on that stretch of interstate.

rebelstand · 12-10-2010, 06:37 AM

Thanks all!
Since I have lived in both Dallas and Fort Worth, I am not so worried about traffic. (If the Dallas side scares you, you can always get on I-20 in Ft Worth. It adds about 45 minutes). Dallas's forecasted low is 42 with showers.

I-40 west of downtown OKC is washboard driving... and I am not kidding. It beats you and your A/S up. I am a little afraid that it is the same all the way thru Oklahoma and Arkansas. We would be exiting I-40 at Memphis and heading south on US-78/I-22 to Birmingham. Little Rock's forecasted low is 36 with showers.

I will have to investigate US-82. Sounds interesting.

Lastly, I have allotted about 30 hours of actual driving time(can be increased if needed) for what google says should take about 22 hours max. We have never taken the A/S on a trip of over 6 hours so is there any advice? Our first multiple state run...I might be a bit nervous....

vswingfield · 12-10-2010, 09:03 AM

Hi Nicki,

While I40 was pretty bad in Arkansas in the past, it has been redone and is now in pretty good shape. I don't know how far towards OKC the repairs go, but hopefully they are creeping west.

FYI, prior to the repairs the westbound part was worse than the eastbound for some reason.

You're right, that constant KA-THUNK!—KA-THUNK!—KA-THUNK! would beat you to death.

rebelstand · 12-11-2010, 07:49 AM

KA-Thunk is pretty much what I-40 is like thru OKC. It makes me cringe every time we have to take the A/S on it.

rperrym · 12-11-2010, 08:07 AM

We just came through I-40 from Memphis on the way back to Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is much better now except for a few miles of rough road going West. Truck traffic is very heavy weekdays. Much of this highway has been rebuilt. It is also good to the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line. Hwy 70 parallels I-40 from Little Rock to Memphis if you want to get off for a few miles.

rebelstand · 12-11-2010, 11:28 AM

Has anyone been on I-40 from the Arkansas state line to OKC recently? We know that it's bad through OKC but not east of it. It's 465 miles to Fort Smith from OKC and that is a lot of miles of KA-Thunk.....

slowmover · 12-12-2010, 07:18 AM

Lastly, I have allotted about 30 hours of actual driving time (can be increased if needed) for what google says should take about 22 hours max. We have never taken the A/S on a trip of over 6 hours so is there any advice? Our first multiple state run...I might be a bit nervous....

Trip planning: bounded by daylight hours and the need [requirement] to get out of the vehicle every two hours (whether 15-minutes to stretch, etc, or to prepare & consume a meal); and recognition of declining attention/skills through the day. The need to set a pace, in other words, that remains viable dependent upon the rig, the road and the load (the details of each, therein).

Google estimates are for solo cars (not even pickup trucks due to poor handling/braking), so divide miles by travel speed (I use 55-58 mph for Interstate; 47 mph for roads that include small towns; one can use 50 mph to include brief stops) and take into account, especially, weather and traffic. Divide the Google estimate to see what they have calculated, and if above 60-mph for all but the longest, non-mountainous stretches, deduct some mph.

450-600 miles is a long day when one is aware of skill/attention degradation towards the end of the day. After six hours of driving no one is too sharp anymore, professional driver or not. As a rule of thumb: start early and end early so as to use daylight to maximum advantage. And, in the event of problems, the earlier in the day, the better (for solution).

To make this short, if I anticipate having to purchase fuel I plan that stop in advance (use Google Street View to make sure the fuel island presents no problems), and I scout the rest areas (or other) to know, also in advance, the Exit Marker number.

Break the travel down into steps: 150-miles here, 110-miles there, and have the "markers" at hand on a slip of paper. The exercise is simple enough, though tedious the first few times if one wishes to be thorough. As one goes along one finds additional route/trip planning tools (construction reports, rush hour estimates, etc) available on-line.

Here's one the better built sites I've come across recently:

SafeRoadMaps - Home

Safe travel isn't about, necessarily, a slow speed and an overall short distance, but it is about a framework that accommodates a steady pace, a pace which leaves the drivers attention focused on immediate circumstances versus decisions on where (and why) to stop. The pleasures of negotiating the rig up and down the roads are left free of externalities by this approach.

Good luck

.

rebelstand · 12-12-2010, 08:59 AM

I like your approach and I sent that website to DH to peruse. As I already have a spreadsheet calculating the running total of the mileage (part of my route planning), I think I'll check out your fuel street view idea. DH likes to use the big truck stops (Love's, Flying J, etc) for stopping even without the A/S.

The 50-55 mph sounds like a good estimation for figuring out overall driving time. We also have to figure several 30 minute stops for the dogs everyday which includes unhitching.

Leaving Friday afternoon(about 4 hours driving) and arriving Monday, covering around 1300 miles....

pickerdd · 12-12-2010, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelstand

Has anyone been on I-40 from the Arkansas state line to OKC recently? We know that it's bad through OKC but not east of it. It's 465 miles to Fort Smith from OKC and that is a lot of miles of KA-Thunk.....

I was on I-40 from Memphis to OKC and back at the end of September and it was a complete mess. The pot holes and washboarding in the road made it a pain in the posterior. The road beat up my truck and my Safari pretty bad. Has it changed since September?