FanPost

***I-81 BINGHAMTON TRAFFIC UPDATE #4***READ IF GOING TO GAME***

UPDATE 11:42am.

-Just drove down to Exit 6 ramp and 81 seems to be moving smoothly. Again, there's one-lane traffic between parts exit 6 & 7, but there doesn't look to be significant slowdown. Proceed as normal....ignore alternate routes below.

 

UPDATE 8:44am.

-According the NYSDOT The closed section Interstate 81 N opened about an hour ago....part of it is single lane, so still budget a little extra time for travel.

-I've yet to confirm this visually, but since I live about a mile from the ramp I'm going to check it out in a an hour or two.

-If this is true, you Northbound Cuse fans can ignore the hill-n-dale detour below...but still view for entertainment purposes.

-17 remains closed from Waverly to Endicott. If you're coming from the West of Elmira, I'd seriously consider taking Rt 13 out of Elmira, through Ithaca, and to Cortland to pick up 81. If you're on the Rt 17 corridor between Elmira and Binghamton, you're probably out of power, isolated, and not going to the game anyway.

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AGAIN, DOT REPORTING THAT 81N IS NOW OPEN

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For those going to the game tomorrow, or Syracuse in general, from South of Binghamton


-I-81 from Exit 6 [Chenango Bridge] to Exit 7 [Castle Creek] is still shut down as of this post.

-Northbound traffic is being detoured onto Rt 12 [Upper Front St] at Exit 5, and turned onto route 11 north until Castle Creek.

-Traffic is backed up on I-81 north to at least Exit 3 (Industrial Park), with some reports of as far north as the PA border. For those who don't know, that's at least 5 miles, and as far as 10.

-Word is it's not debris, the road has been washed, so SLIM chance it'll be open tomorrow.

 

Insane double-secret detour route and websites....

 

Road Closing info here:

http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=20081

If I-81 is still closed, and the traffic is backed up a LONG way..here's the skinny...

Traveling from South of Binghamton [Scranton etc] and coming from the East [all points downstate not closer to 87]

LINK TO GOOGLE MAPS ROUTE

1) Get off Exit 2W. [This is the area where 17 and 81 merge] Follow the road for a quarter mile and it will merge with Rt11.

2) Stay right. Turn right at the first light. If you smell potato chips, it's because there's a freaking huge Frito Lay factory to your right as you approach the light. Once you turn right on to Colesville Rd, keep going straight past the Pilot and Wendy's. If you feel you're in industrial trucker hell, don't worry, you are.

3) IMMEDIATELY after you go under the highway overpass, there's a left turn onto Stratmill Rd. Follow it for 3 miles until you reach Old State Rd. Turn Left.

4) 4 Miles on Old State Rd drops you to St Rt 7. Turn Right, get in left lane and stay there. A mile later you'll merge onto I-88 East

5) In spite of all the signs saying I-88 is closed, it is open until Exit 2 [Chenango Bridge] where you're going to get off and Turn Left across the river on Rt 12A. [Hey, you're only two blocks from my house!]

6) About a mile on 12A will take you to an intersection with Rt 12 [there's a Hess there]. IGNORE THE SIGNS TO 81. THEY WILL LEAD TO CERTAIN GRIDLOCK. Turn right on 12.

7) 6 mi later you'll find yourself in a podunk hamlet called Chenango Forks at the intersection of Rt 79. Turn left on 79.

8) Now you're really in the backwater, but scenic nonetheless.

9) 10 miles will take you to Whitney Point. The road signs will point you to the merge of 79 & 11, and a mile through town will take you to 81N [note, the N & S on-ramps are on opposite ends of the village, so don't assume any 81 sign is the right one, make SURE you follow for N].

Get on 81N and lay the hammer.

Below is the 'long link' to this route on Google Maps. As you see, it turns a normally 20 minute leg of the trip to a 45 minute one. However, it's better than the 1.5 - 2 hours I'm hearing about now.

So, again, check with the road situation on the above news site in the morning...because I don't want to be held at fault for adding 45 of back roads and state routes to your trip. However, it doesn't sound good.

Be Safe, and GO ORANGE!

LINK TO GOOGLE MAPS ROUTE

 

P.S. If you tell too many people about this route, I'll kill you. Us locals are sitting pretty with it, I'm just letting you all know because you're brethren Orange.

P.S.S There's other routes you can take, I just recommend this if things are the same in the morning.