Nascar Alert!

[Grant]

Spoke with my dad this week, and he mentioned that there's a NASCAR race this weekend in Loudon (Siemens 300). Of course, Friday is the day I'm heading back up to the Lake with the full family (and dog), so it's destiny.

My NASCAR-nut colleague at work tells me that qualifying rounds start Friday, so a good portion of the crowd will be heading up early -- with the RVs and SUVs and trailers. So if you're heading to the eastern side of the Lake from the south this weekend, it might behoove you to avoid the 393/4/202-to-28 route and stay on 93 and loop over the top via Meredith and Center Harbor -- that's worked well for me in the past.

I'm now thinking of leaving extra-extra early Friday morning (say, 5 AM)...

[Bizer]

Even without traffic, it's about two minutes faster to

Get off I-93 in Hooksett
Take back roads over to Route 28. (Left at bottom of hill onto 3A; right at stoplight; 1st left after crossing Merrimack River; 1st right up the hill; left on Route 3; After 2 miles, turn right onto Route 28)
Take Route 28 through Epsom and up to Alton


Given the predicted traffic, it would be a lot faster.

[Lin]

Had to go to Worcester today so did some traveling on rtes 495 and 290. There were several NASCAR tractortrailor vans and many campers headed north. My son picked out numbers 6 and 16 I think he said. Traffic was pretty heavy on 495 for a wednesday early afternoon. They're still working on 290 around Worcester. Most of the bridges are still scarrified (sp) and there are plenty of barrels and cruisers around. Last few weeks on Sundays southbound on 495 the highway has been practically at a standstill between Rte 20 in Marlborough to the Pike ramps.

[jrc]

Rt 28 into Alton usually is not a problem. Bizer's Hooksett directions are good, I went that way last weekend. Expect more than usual delays on 93 in and around Concord and 393 from Concord to 106. Avoid RT 106.

Coming home on Sunday is more troublesome. Fans trickle into the area starting a week before the event, but they all leave Sunday after the last race. Expect huge delays around Rt93 exit 20 and from exit 15 to the Hooksett tolls. The trouble is knowing when the race will end.

[Lin]

Besides the NASCAR traffic, don't forget Boston's road rules for the DNC. Who knows what to expect from that traffic nightmare they're predicting. Roads closed, reroutes, etc starting this weekend for sure this Monday.

[ghfromaltonbay]

I've also travelled to the lake on the Friday before a NASCAR weekend and found that the best route to avoid any race traffic is to take 495 to 95 and the Spaulding Tpke. to Route 11. Of course, I did get through the Hampton Tolls before noon having left NJ by 6:30 a.m.
I just returned from the lake yesterday and went home that route leaving Alton Bay at 10:30 a.m. I did see the M&M race team caravan on the Spaulding Tpke. in Dover, but that was the only NASCAR traffic I encountered. Made the 310 mile trip in 4 hours, 55 minutes a new record for me and never exceeded 68 mph.

[ghfromaltonbay]

I've also travelled to the lake on the Friday before a NASCAR weekend and found that the best route to avoid any race traffic is to take 495 to 95 and the Spaulding Tpke. to Route 11. Of course, I did get through the Hampton Tolls before noon having left NJ by 6:30 a.m.
I just returned from the lake yesterday and went home that route leaving Alton Bay at 10:30 a.m. I did see the M&M race team caravan on the Spaulding Tpke. in Dover, but that was the only NASCAR traffic I encountered. Made the 310 mile trip in 4 hours, 55 minutes a new record for me and never exceeded 68 mph. (I really appreciate cruise control). For anyone travelling south without a boat in tow, I found that taking 84 West to 91 South in East Hartford and then the Wilbur Cross (Route 15) to 287 in White Plains NY cut more than 10 miles from my trip and avoided the backups thru the construction in Waterbury, and NO TRUCKS!!