Dallas street question

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Hey all, traveling to Hotglues Friday. Is the highway shown as Walton Walker Blvd (12 408) a toll road, interstateish, or stop and go traffic?

I'm trying to avoid downtown Dallas and was thinking of using this cutoff to I-20 then back over to I-45.

Raymond

[Serk]

Loop 12 is freewayish, but then has direct intersections too and goes back and forth... It also goes through some of the less nice areas of Dallas, IMHO... I would not recommend it as a route through town personally.

Unless you're coming through at the height of rush hour, I'd just push straight through down 35 to 45 and on out...

Another option would be to take 35 to 635 then loop around to I20 on the south side of Dallas and get on 45 from there, but once again, this is going way outta your way, and IMHO 635 isn't a whole lot better than just hitting straight through on 35 to 45 directly...

If you REALLY wanna avoid downtown, IMHO you'd wanna take a HUGE arc out east or west avoiding the whole metromess, out by Greenville, Terrell, etc (On the eastern side) but this would be WAY outta your way...

Dallas is the 4th largest metro area in the US... Avoiding it takes a LOT of extra time and miles, and if ya' gotta go through it, IMHO the best bet is to take the direct route straight through the heart...

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Thanks Serk, we usually do just run straight thru downtown but if we run behind at all it will be 5:00 sharp. 4:30 not so bad but i have walked a fully loaded 2 up Interstate for a mile or more of stop stop stop go traffic once. I've done all the possible go arounds over the years and none are much better. One fool has a flat on 635 and 5 lanes STOP! WTH!!

I'll just have to fly by the seat of my pants and see when we get there.

Raymond

[Red Diamond]

When 35 south splits into 35W and 35E, take 35W to Ft. Worth, then 287 south back to 45 south. May foot walk your bike a little less cause everyone's headed out at that time. In Dallas they all meet in the middle.

[Wanderer]

Thanks Serk, we usually do just run straight thru downtown but if we run behind at all it will be 5:00 sharp. 4:30 not so bad but i have walked a fully loaded 2 up Interstate for a mile or more of stop stop stop go traffic once. I've done all the possible go arounds over the years and none are much better. One fool has a flat on 635 and 5 lanes STOP! WTH!!

I'll just have to fly by the seat of my pants and see when we get there.

Raymond

Southbound 75 is better than northbound at rush hour, Raymond. There is always a chance of major stoppage due to wrecks, but I would go straight thru on 75 to 45 in the fast lane and get it over with! Good practice for getting thru Houston - they aim at bikes down south like they have targets on them!

See you soon! ~Jeff

[Gear Jammer]

At 430 or 5pm, there are NO good ways thru the MetroMess.   And Loop 12/408 is a pretty good way to go to avoid some of the worst, but I'd get gas before I got to Dallas, and keep on moving.

[Houdini]

but I would go straight thru on 75 to 45 in the fast lane

Take the 75 HOV, it usually flies even if the rest of the lanes are stopped.

[Ghillie]

coming from someone who drives a wrecker in this war zone 6 days a week

Serk is confused about the section of loop 12 you are referring to, the split off of 35 just north of NW hwy will get you to 20 without taking you through downtown. After 3pm traffic through the Irving portion will move slowly but probably not come to a complete stop. The upside is getting to see the pile of rubble that used to be Texas Stadium, the downside is the construction around that area. The other downside is alot of lane changing going on from traffic trying to make exits at 114, 183, I-30, a left exit at loop 12 and finally I-20 on the south.

If you hit Dallas between 3-7 on Friday, here is my suggestion for the least painful way to get to the south side of town. When coming into Dallas on 35 go East on 635 / LBJ Freeway, the ramp will be slow but will dump you into the HOV lane. Stay in the HOV lane (meaning stay left at 75) it will take you all the way to I-30 where it ends. There will be a small slow down between I-30 and US 80 as traffic merges, but you are already in the left lane of traffic and should never stop. Once you are south of US 80, traffic will move fairly steady all the way around to the south side of Dallas where you will take 45 south. Traffic on 45 south of Dallas will be crowded but fairly steady.

Watch for LEO from US 80 to 45 south on 635 and 20 and again on 45 south until you are south of Ferris and the speed limit picks back up to 70mph.

This route may not save you any time but it shouldn't cost you any. Your average rate of speed will be higher and the stress will be much lower. It's an extra 10 miles to take the loop around to the south.


http://maps.google.com/maps?q=dallas+tx&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Dallas,+TX&gl=us&ei=DGDFS8L6HYyM8gS_x7S3Dg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBEQ8gEwAA

[Serk]

Thanks for the correction Ghillie... I consider anything west of 35E to be Ft. Worth and generally avoid it

One correction though, Ghillie's plan looks good, but you'll wanna take 45 south off of I-20, not 35, if you're heading to HotGlue's (Houston)... Also, the directions he gave you you'll come to the turn off for 45 before the turn off for 35...

Whichever route ya'll take, safe travels, and I'll see ya'll this weekend!

Can't wait!!!

[Ghillie]

oh duh, had Austin on the brain