May 27th, 2010
This can be a really nice ride during nice weather. It can be not so fun if you encounter a lot of traffic, however. There is a lot of nice scenery when taking this route as opposed to the possibly quicker routes of I-95 through NYC or taking the Tappan Zee Bridge. As it happened when I recently made this drive, it was commuter rush hour. As I had originally intended to cross the Hudson at Newburgh, NY during this drive anyhow, it was even a better idea as there was a major traffic accident on the approach to the Tappan Zee Bridge that essentially had the roadway closed. Also, as a general rule, if you are not planning to go into the city, avoid driving anywhere close to New York City during rush hour. Because, as with much of the rest of the nation, the roadways in this region are severely under-designed and have no chance of supporting the amount of traffic to which these roads are subjected. However, along this driven route on this day, for the most part, the roads were in satisfactory or better condition – with some notable exceptions with some of these problems being addressed by construction. But, in light of these potential problems, if you have the time to take this ride, it can be a nice one. There are a lot of interesting sites along the way, several mountain ranges and varying terrain, generally friendly people, and mostly nice scenery along the entire route as well.
Adam Trotter / AVT
PS. However, I can not really post this blog in good faith without demanding that another bridge or tunnel be built to cross the Hudson River. See the following:
http://engineeringandcommerce.blogspot.com/2010/05/build-another-crossing-of-hudson-river.html
