Central IL to Alvarado, TX

[twindadtoo]

We are planning on going to Alvarado, TX to pick up our new RW 425 around October 13th & 14th. The most direct route is right through Dallas. Having never driven through that part of Dallas I was wandering if I should go around it on 635 and 20 or just stay on 75 & 35E?

Any thoughts, ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[Jim_Hull]

Hey Twindadtoo,

What part of Illinois. We are in Mattoon and took our Big Country down through that area last spring. We were headed to Austin. I would recommend 635 around to 20 as it was an easy drive for us. We avoided the downtown area and made it just fine. Good luck to you.

 

[twindadtoo]

Hey Twindadtoo,

What part of Illinois. We are in Mattoon and took our Big Country down through that area last spring. We were headed to Austin. I would recommend 635 around to 20 as it was an easy drive for us. We avoided the downtown area and made it just fine. Good luck to you.

We are from the little town of Oakford. Northwest of Springfield about 40 miles. I was thinking the same thing as you, avoid the downtown area. It only adds about 10 miles or so to go around.

Thanks for the reply

 

[kf5qby]

we are from the little town of oakford. Northwest of springfield about 40 miles. I was thinking the same thing as you, avoid the downtown area. It only adds about 10 miles or so to go around.

Thanks for the reply

You can stay on 75 through downtown Dallas. traffic moves pretty good southbound except during the morning rush hour. 75 turns into I-45 as you pass central Dallas. Stay on 45 until you get to 20. Go west on 20 to 35E.

If it is rush hour then you are pretty much hosed. Even 635 will be congested and bumper to bumper.

I have lived on the North side of Dallas for 22 years now. Even with all the construction traffic has not gotten any better.

 

[twindadtoo]

You can stay on 75 through downtown Dallas. traffic moves pretty good southbound except during the morning rush hour. 75 turns into I-45 as you pass central Dallas. Stay on 45 until you get to 20. Go west on 20 to 35E.

If it is rush hour then you are pretty much hosed. Even 635 will be congested and bumper to bumper.

I have lived on the North side of Dallas for 22 years now. Even with all the construction traffic has not gotten any better.

So, if I avoid rush hour I should be good going through Dallas?
What are rush hour times? Inbound and outbound?

 

[kf5qby]

So, if I avoid rush hour I should be good going through Dallas?
What are rush hour times? Inbound and outbound?

Inbound rush hour toward downtown Dallas is 6:30AM to 9AM. Outbound is 3:30PM to 7PM. Unless it is Friday, then afternoon rush starts at noon and traffic is bad until 10PM or so.

Currently the State Fair of Texas is going on. The weekend you are talking about is the last one for this year. That will also mean higher than normal traffic through downtown Dallas in the afternoon/evening hours.

I just realized that is also the big Texas/OU football weekend in Dallas. Traffic will be even heavier than normal. 635 may be your best bet after all. Just make sure you are on it before 3:30PM Friday. On Saturday 635 is not bad.

 

[twindadtoo]

Inbound rush hour toward downtown Dallas is 6:30AM to 9AM. Outbound is 3:30PM to 7PM. Unless it is Friday, then afternoon rush starts at noon and traffic is bad until 10PM or so.

Currently the State Fair of Texas is going on. The weekend you are talking about is the last one for this year. That will also mean higher than normal traffic through downtown Dallas in the afternoon/evening hours.

I just realized that is also the big Texas/OU football weekend in Dallas. Traffic will be even heavier than normal. 635 may be your best bet after all. Just make sure you are on it before 3:30PM Friday. On Saturday 635 is not bad.

Thank you

 

[TravelTiger]

I agree what kf5qby said, take 625 around. The lane changing that has to happen around downtown is very harrowing pulling a trailer, so I would avoid it. Maybe not so bad in big truck alone. But you can end up in some not nice places if you miss your exit and have to try to get around near downtown.

However, he mentioned OU-TX weekend, and the State Fair going on draws a ton of folks to the Fair Park area and yes I'd avoid going through downtown.

Btw rush hour starts about 3:30pm and goes to 7pm. I grew up in Dallas and commuted for 20+ years for work. (My 26 mile drive took an hour, each way.)


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[twindadtoo]

I agree what kf5qby said, take 625 around. The lane changing that has to happen around downtown is very harrowing pulling a trailer, so I would avoid it. Maybe not so bad in big truck alone. But you can end up in some not nice places if you miss your exit and have to try to get around near downtown.

However, he mentioned OU-TX weekend, and the State Fair going on draws a ton of folks to the Fair Park area and yes I'd avoid going through downtown.

Btw rush hour starts about 3:30pm and goes to 7pm. I grew up in Dallas and commuted for 20+ years for work. (My 26 mile drive took an hour, each way.)


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That definitely sounds like a plan. Avoid the downtown area. My gut was telling me that all along
Thanks

 

[pjones1969]

You can stay on 75 through downtown Dallas. traffic moves pretty good southbound except during the morning rush hour. 75 turns into I-45 as you pass central Dallas. Stay on 45 until you get to 20. Go west on 20 to 35E.

I live north of Dallas off of 75 and the above route is the way I go when I go south to the Canyon Lake area, but I’m usually leaving at 5am on a Sunday morning.

Since the fair weekend comes into play I would suggest looking at this route:
75 to President George Bush Turnpike, they intersect in Plano, which is a good ways from the fair area, PGBT will take you all the way to 20, go west on 20 to 35W and that will take you to Alvarado.

 

[twindadtoo]

I live north of Dallas off of 75 and the above route is the way I go when I go south to the Canyon Lake area, but I’m usually leaving at 5am on a Sunday morning.

Since the fair weekend comes into play I would suggest looking at this route:
75 to President George Bush Turnpike, they intersect in Plano, which is a good ways from the fair area, PGBT will take you all the way to 20, go west on 20 to 35W and that will take you to Alvarado.

Google Maps has me on 75 and then on 67 all the way to Alvarado. Is that an acceptable way to go?

 

[pjones1969]

Google Maps has me on 75 and then on 67 all the way to Alvarado. Is that an acceptable way to go?

Thats going to be the 75 to 35 to 67 route that takes you right through downtown, I suggested PGBT because it gets you off of 75 way before you would experience any of the downtown traffic issues.

 

[twindadtoo]

Thats going to be the 75 to 35 to 67 route that takes you right through downtown, I suggested PGBT because it gets you off of 75 way before you would experience any of the downtown traffic issues.

Ok
Thank you

 

[pjones1969]

Ok
Thank you

Once you cross the Red River at the OK/ TX border take notice of the bouncy roads on Southbound 75 through the Denison-Sherman area, they are just as bad if not worse on the Northbound side, especially the right lanes. I went to Stillwater last weekend and decided to get in the far left lane before this stretch of road and it was a lot better than being over in the right hand lanes, there are some quick short on ramps through Sherman, stay left and you won’t have to dodge those oncoming drivers. Other than this area the roads are in pretty good shape regardless of which route you decide to take. OR you could roll out on 35 and stop at the WinStar Casino, call ahead and they will give you a free night, sites are large paved pull throughs, that’s where we went to “play” with everything when we picked our Cyclone up, then you could come back South on 35 and take Hwy. 82 across from Gainesville TX to Sherman, its a pretty good road, you have lots of options!!

Congrats on your RW by the way


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[twindadtoo]

I have been exploring all of these suggestions, thank you by the way.
What do you all think about coming through Missouri (down 67) into Arkansas on 67 to 167 to 30, coming into Texas on 30 to 635 to 20 to 67?
Going this way is just a few more miles and about 25 minutes longer but it is eliminating the tolls in Oklahoma, if I remember can get expensive with 3 more axles.
I drove this route about 32 years ago but can't remember what it would be like pulling a trailer.
I will have my trucking Garmin with me and my iPad as well using Google maps. My Garmin has my trailer dimensions inputted so that it is suppose to direct me on the appropriate roads.
I might be overthinking all of this just want an uneventful drive home.

 

[kf5qby]

I-30 in Arkansas is rough in several places and has sections under construction between Little Rock and the Texas boarder. We drove it pulling our TT about a month ago. Once you get into Texas it is nice and smooth. It is also a straight shot into Dallas and would be a good way of avoiding the downtown area once you got on 635.

 

[twindadtoo]

I-30 in Arkansas is rough in several places and has sections under construction between Little Rock and the Texas boarder. We drove it pulling our TT about a month ago. Once you get into Texas it is nice and smooth. It is also a straight shot into Dallas and would be a good way of avoiding the downtown area once you got on 635.

Well, that eliminates that idea, thanks for your input.
Toll roads it is, I guess