Orange Barrels
“Construction zone ahead”, don’t you just love to see those words? It seems nomatter where you go this summer you are going to run into “orange barrels.” If you plan your trip with proper precision and timing you can minimize the effect of construction on your travel time and frustration level.
My basic plan is “early is better!” Generally speaking, traffic really starts to pick up after 6:00 a.m. especially close to the big cities. If I leave Monroe by 4:00 a.m. I can avoid the morning rush along with the construction “bottlenecks.” It doesn’t seem to matter whether I take 23 or 275 to 23 to 75. There isn’t but a few minutes differance nomatter which route I choose. The important thing is being past the Zilwalkee Bridge before everyone wakes-up.
The early morning drive has other advantages; like kids still sleeping, fresh brewed coffee, conversation with your wife, and the glory of watching the sun rise. It took us 4 hours and 20 minutes to reach our destination (Wellston) V.S. 6 hours coming home. Our return trip was a late evening drive taking 127 to Lansing and 96 then to 23. We did stop and get an ice-cream for the grandkids and gas up, so that added a little time to the overall final “tally.”
So if your not up to being slowed to a crawl in a construction zone I highly reccomend the early morning commute. Not only is there less traffic you also arrive at your destination with almost the whole day ahead of you and the grandkids-”oh boy!”
Mike