Going through Fort Worth

jrs1871 wrote:
We did the 281 route on the way down last fall. True it is not much longer mileage wise but time wise it was about three hours longer. As much as it pains me, we will probably just bite the bullet and stay on I35. The road will be nice when it is done but in the mean time......

There is construction all the way to Denton on 35.
281 is going to be no slower than trying to negoiate thr Cowtown construction.

We did the 281 route on the way down last fall. True it is not much longer mileage wise but time wise it was about three hours longer. As much as it pains me, we will probably just bite the bullet and stay on I35. The road will be nice when it is done but in the mean time......

jrs1871 wrote:
..........
If so we are considering I35 up to I20, west to I820 and around to the north side..........

Unfortunately, loop I-820 dumps you right back into I-35W north where a lot of the construction is still on going.

As mentioned, time it for Sunday morning. Or take the US 281/I-44 route. But on US 281 you will be spending a lot of time for low speed limits and small town traffic lights. You would not gain any time. A little sanity maybe.

In addition, the I-35 construction thru Temple and for a few miles north can also be a problem. But at least you can bypass the worst part thru the middle of Temple by taking by Loop 363 north around it. Went thru there 4 times last year, and twice accidents had north bound traffic backed up for miles in north Temple. I use google maps on my phone to look for "RED" lanes ahead indicating traffic problems before I get there to decide whether to take the bypass or not.

Since the construction is only a few miles out of the overall trip, I would just grin and bear it and go straight thru at a low traffic time. An overnight stop just south of Ft Worth for an early morning start would be a good idea. But that is just me.

We drove through FW last Friday on 287 west which connects with 35 north through downtown. It was a parking lot. It took us over an hour to get through FW. On our return trip mid day Sunday we detoured south at Decatur to avoid it. My traffic app illustrated it as a parking lot again.

I would avoid it.

+ 281......Texas secondary roads are the very best in the country !! 281 north and miss all that high speed traffic. You could go 281 north then just below Jacksboro 380 east to I 35 north. Some states it is advised to stay on the interstate but you can make just as good time with a lot less aggressive drivers on a Texas back road!!!

If you just have to go through DFW I would go I 35 I 35E 287 360 up through Euless 114 N/W at Grapevine back to I 35 N unless there is construction on 360 and 114 it is a good bybass back to I 35N. That road work on 35 in FW can be a major parking lot at times.

Headed to Kansas I would recommend US-281 from San Antonio up to Wichita Falls and I-44 to OKC. It is only about 11 miles longer than going thru Fort Worth.

Yesterday it took us 45 minutes to go from the south loop in Denton to the US-380 exit on I-35 - a distance of about 6 miles.

Multiple lane shifts in narrow temporary lanes at the north side of Fort Worth Loop 820 / I-35W intersection. Due to construction.

Avoid traveling north or south through Fort Worth or Dallas if at all possible.

There is no good way north thru, either Fort Worth or Dallas. I35E and I35W are both torn up all the way to Denton. Try to make it thru early Sunday, that will be your least traffic. Saturday morning is OK, but Sunday morning is better for traffic. Keep it slow, drivers around here are very aggressive.