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What do you do about Atlanta?

Mickeyfan0805
Explorer
Explorer
Headed from WI to FL next month and no reasonable way to miss Atlanta. Best I could do was schedule my drive-time so that I hit Atlanta at about 1p on a Wednesday.

No matter when I look at a map, however, there seem to always be accidents (often multiple) along I-75 between Marietta and McDonough - creating multiple delays. Are there any secrets to a successful trip through Atlanta, or do you just pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and ride it out?
27 REPLIES 27

Gulfcoast
Explorer
Explorer
I-65 to Montgomery, US 231 to I-10, I-10 to I-75 in FL.

Thousands from IL and WI take this route to FL.

Atlanta--- 10am or 2pm, or after 8pm.
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wowens79
Explorer III
Explorer III
Camsmom wrote:
We are going to be travelling west to east from Gulf Shores Alabama to Charlotte motor speedway. It will likely be a Friday afternoon. Any suggestions?


It won't be to bad until you are on the north side of town. i-85 on the southside of ATL is the least congested interstate in ATL. I would probably take 285 around the east side of ATL.
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Camsmom
Explorer
Explorer
We are going to be travelling west to east from Gulf Shores Alabama to Charlotte motor speedway. It will likely be a Friday afternoon. Any suggestions?

Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Explorer II
I just drive straight thru on I75 in the hov lanes. Seldom have a traffic problem but I do watch time of day.
Never could understand folks being so afraid of driving in traffic but then again I used to drive 18 wheelers in L.A.
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Mickeyfan0805
Explorer
Explorer
rockhillmanor wrote:
Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
rockhillmanor wrote:
BTW. What part of Wisconsin are you leaving from? It took me a few tries coming south before I found what IMHO is the most relaxing route down.


I'm just north of Milwaukee, but my intent is to go west over to Beloit and head south from there. Only adds 30-40 minutes to the overall trip, but cuts out Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville.

If you have another suggestion, I'm all ears.


I took the route to 75 that included Indy and then Chattanooga ONCE. The traffic and nasty nasty roads and then that 7 1/2% grade straight down almost killed me never ever again.

I am all about enjoying the ride AND good roads for the MH than making time that encompass going thru major cities.

> Out of Wisconsin take 39 south.

to 74 to 57 to 24 to 65. At that point I choose to take that all the way to Birmingham and then take 20 over to 75. Great roads no major city congestion I love this route.

Most of the route down thru Illinois is 2 lane no traffic 'good' flat roads you are almost always by yourself.

Ya you go thru Nashville but originally being from Chicago going thru Nashville was a breeze for me.


I'm with you all the way except the last step. That's the route I plan to take, but then I was cutting the angle from Nasvhille to Atlanta on 24 and 75

Going through Birmingham and across adds another 90 miles to the trip and still brings you into Atlanta. What would be the reaso for such a substantial add?

rockhillmanor
Explorer
Explorer
Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
rockhillmanor wrote:
BTW. What part of Wisconsin are you leaving from? It took me a few tries coming south before I found what IMHO is the most relaxing route down.


I'm just north of Milwaukee, but my intent is to go west over to Beloit and head south from there. Only adds 30-40 minutes to the overall trip, but cuts out Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville.

If you have another suggestion, I'm all ears.


I took the route to 75 that included Indy and then Chattanooga ONCE. The traffic and nasty nasty roads and then that 7 1/2% grade straight down almost killed me never ever again.

I am all about enjoying the ride AND good roads for the MH than making time that encompass going thru major cities.

> Out of Wisconsin take 39 south.

to 74 to 57 to 24 to 65. At that point I choose to take that all the way to Birmingham and then take 20 over to 75. Great roads no major city congestion I love this route.

Most of the route down thru Illinois is 2 lane no traffic 'good' flat roads you are almost always by yourself.

Ya you go thru Nashville but originally being from Chicago going thru Nashville was a breeze for me.

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

wowens79
Explorer III
Explorer III
Taking I-75 straight through is probably the best route most of the time. Load Waze on your phone, in ATL, it is the best app to avoid traffic.

Just prepare yourself, it may take an hour to get through, or it may take 3 hours, you just never know. Just pick a middle lane and go with the flow. Realize that an idiot in a Prius is going to squeeze into the gap between you and a big truck thinking you only need 2 feet to stop.

I live south of town, and do everything I can to avoid Hellanta. The only good thing over here is I-20 back to Alabama.
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dodge_guy
Explorer
Explorer
I don't know why everyone makes a big deal about Atlanta traffic? We went through on a Friday afternoon around 3:30 and while there was traffic it wasn't what I would consider bad. In all my traveling Chicago is by far the worst, and not saying that because I'm from here.

Just go, it's not that bad!
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tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
You could route around Atlanta well to the west with very little extra distance.

There are some large cities I like to avoid because of impossible traffic densities at the time I will get there (as you are treating Chicago) and Atlanta is one of them that stays messed up for much of the day. But avoiding one bottleneck on the Interstate system will often put me through a different one, so it is about the timing as much as the route.

Consider I-65 out of Nashville to Montgomery, US-231 from Montgomery to Dothan, US-84 to Bainbridge, US-27 to I-10, then over to I-75. Or from Montgomery, US-231 down to I-10.

I now go through Atlanta west to east (I-20) to get to S. Carolina, as a 5 AM start from NE Mississippi or NW Alabama gets me there about 9:30-10:00 AM, which is not so bad west to east (but it is pretty bad for folks coming in from the east). But I don't go through Atlanta east to west because I hit it at the wrong time of day, afternoon to evening rush hour. My westbound route is I-40 rather then I-20 with a night stop before crossing the mountains, an early start ahead of regional commuter traffic, which gets me through or past Nashville mid-day, and counter-flow to afternoon commuters at Memphis.

There is probably a good time for I-75 north to south, but I don't know what it is. Going through north to south, I would usually hit Atlanta around 10 PM and stay on I-75. I do know that the loop roads the truckers are forced to use are currently slow for much of the day, because of construction projects.
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Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Explorer II
sgip2000 wrote:
Prepare yourself for Georgia drivers.
We say the same about yall.:)
Eddie
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Mickeyfan0805
Explorer
Explorer
rockhillmanor wrote:
BTW. What part of Wisconsin are you leaving from? It took me a few tries coming south before I found what IMHO is the most relaxing route down.


I'm just north of Milwaukee, but my intent is to go west over to Beloit and head south from there. Only adds 30-40 minutes to the overall trip, but cuts out Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville.

If you have another suggestion, I'm all ears.

trailerbob
Explorer
Explorer
Depends on how much time you have but you could always forget I-75 up north and take I-65 to Birmingham and cut across and catch I-75 at Tifton GA.

As for me, I always schedule my trip through Atlanta during the w/e when I can go straight through. Other times I'll take the west bypass. I will not go through Atlanta 6-10 AM or 4-8 PM.

I've never tried taking 27 out of Chattanooga but that looks like a good option. Personally, I-75 in Detroit or Cincinnati bother me more.

Mortimer_Brewst
Explorer
Explorer
sgip2000 wrote:
Prepare yourself for Georgia drivers.

I never thought Georgia drivers were that bad. Driving in Alabama on the other hand gave me a taste of what NASCAR must be like.
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Ivylog
Explorer III
Explorer III
I go straight through on I-75 using the HOV lane or staying out of the two right lanes as there are 3-4 areas where you loose two lanes to exits without much warning. There are not any good alternatives for bypassing although some get on US 27 south of Chattanooga to south of Columbus then 520 to Albany and then US 19 to US 98 and then back over to I-75 before the Fla Turnpike.
This post is my opinion (free advice). It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
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