We are driving from Oklahoma City to Indianapolis. What is best way to get thru St. Louis at 6 pm on a weekday?
Title edited to indicate subject. Please use descriptive thread titles. Since the OP is looking for advice, lets move this to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
In my opinion, exit interstate 44 to 270 South. Continue on 270 as it becomes 255 and crosses the Mississippi into Illinois. Continue north on 255 and then take 55 North to 70 East.
Note, all highway numbers I gave are interstates.
I take I-44 from Missouri near I-270 into Illinois and back every day, and traffic isn’t that bad. Particularly at 6pm, when the bulk of the traffic is heading west, not east. I’d just keep on 44 through St. Louis, with the expectation that it might take 10-15 min longer than predicted if there’s an accident.
Now, there will be a huge line of cars where I-44 and I-55 merge downtown, which will be lined up to get across the Poplar Street Bridge into Illinois (where you’ll be headed). That’s super annoying, but the 270-255-55 detour is quite a loop around just to avoid that.
When you’re approaching the 44/55 merge, stay in the right lane but don’t exit; cars will be jockeying to switch lanes, but the right lane is the one that gets on the bridge. Which is why it’s backed up.
(I-44 does have construction going on midway to downtown now, reducing down by one lane for a couple miles, but it tends to be steady if slower getting through that.)
edit: Actually, if you have the time my recommendation would be to take I-44 to The Hill, find a good cheap restaurant for some nice Italian food, and be on your way across the bridge after that, when the traffic will have lightened up more.
This. You avoid the Poplar Street Bridge entirely this way, and that’s always a very good thing. Much less fuss.
I just checked Google Maps, which suggests that the best route is I-270 north to I-64, then east to I-55.
Everyone familiar with St. Louis will snort in derision at that suggestion.
Lightray’s suggestion is a few miles shorter than I. Dunno, but given the road construction on I-44 and the typical traffic jam at I-44/55, you’ll save yourself a good deal of aggravation with ID’s route.
On the other hand, some nice Italian food on The Hill would be a great way to break up the trip.
Oh, yes, avoid I-64 (“Highway 40” to the locals). That is some crazy traffic past I-270, either way during rush hour.
Maybe easier across the PSB, but so not worth it.
… actually, avoid I-270 between I-70 & I-44 at rush hour, too (which includes the I-64 junction).
This. Lived in the STL area for 20+ years.
Except The Hill is a little more difficult to access from 44 right now due to the ongoing reconstruction of the Kingshighway overpass. As in, you can’t use the most direct route from 44 to The Hill because it’s completely blocked. You could get there from other exits, but it’s convoluted. Not that The Hill isn’t worth it…
Heh, I was going to say stay on 270 north and cross the river up by Chain of Rocks, then pick up 70 over in Illinois. But 270 would likely be a mess between 70 and 170, so yeah probably better to swing around south than north.
At around 6 tonight (or a a number of times showing the range of possibilities you might be going through there) go to
http://apps.dot.illinois.gov/stl-traffic/
or Google Maps and select traffic (on the menu button on the left).
This will give some indication of the traffic congestion at various possible routes.
Didn’t the Griswolds cross St. Louis in Vacation? Maybe the OP could watch that movie for tips.
The Griswolds were going west I believe. So watch the movie in reverse.
double post
Wouldn’t that leave the OP expecting random strangers to repair his or her car while in East St. Louis?
Without a doubt, this is the way to go. I’ve lived and drove in the St. Louis area for 35 of the last 40 years.
Good answers here already I’ll add one word:
Waze!