NH&FR - Northern Indiana/Chicago driving question

[Deleted]

I have a work meeting next Thursday in the afternoon in northern Indiana. W/out traffic, it's about an hour from Midway airport. The meeting is 2-4pm (central). Am I committing suicide if I try to drive back to Midway area after the meeting at 4pm?

I need to fly there and back, it's over 4h from my office and thus I'm not 'allowed' to drive (they only reimburse mileage up to 4 hours, which is dumb because now I have to fly and get a hotel for at least 1 night but whatever, I get to spend the night in Chicago on work...).

Thanks!

[mrs.jacinthe]

If you'll be driving the stretch of (80? - I know my route but never pay attention to the actual road numbers) between Gary and Chicago, you'll wish your own death by ebola while sitting in that traffic. I've made that drive a number of times, and it's never NOT a traffic nightmare. At least once, I've taken 3+ hours to drive that route. Unless something has drastically changed in the last few years, I wouldn't do it.

[boston340]

Could you take the train from Midway to your meeting?

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 1:39:29 GMT -5 @vtcupcake said:

Are you staying the night near Midway or just driving back to fly home? Because it's kind of a hellhole out that way.

I can stay wherever I want, I'd just fly into Midway that morning, and prefer to stay in the city overnight. 

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 2:01:19 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

If you'll be driving the stretch of (80? - I know my route but never pay attention to the actual road numbers) between Gary and Chicago, you'll wish your own death by ebola while sitting in that traffic. I've made that drive a number of times, and it's never NOT a traffic nightmare. At least once, I've taken 3+ hours to drive that route. Unless something has drastically changed in the last few years, I wouldn't do it.

Yep, that's the route. I have to be in Crown Point, Indiana for this meeting.

[keweenawlove]

Apr 10, 2014 2:01:19 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

If you'll be driving the stretch of (80? - I know my route but never pay attention to the actual road numbers) between Gary and Chicago, you'll wish your own death by ebola while sitting in that traffic. I've made that drive a number of times, and it's never NOT a traffic nightmare. At least once, I've taken 3+ hours to drive that route. Unless something has drastically changed in the last few years, I wouldn't do it.

I think they just did a major revamp of that whole stretch in the last couple years so there's 5 lanes the whole way. I remember hearing horror stories about driving that stretch so I was really nervous to drive it. We did it for the first time 2 years ago (driving east on a Friday afternoon) and it wasn't bad at all. We've never been stuck for too long on every drive since then, granted, we've only done it 3 times total so we could have just gotten lucky.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 9:12:06 GMT -5 keweenawlove said:

Apr 10, 2014 2:01:19 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

If you'll be driving the stretch of (80? - I know my route but never pay attention to the actual road numbers) between Gary and Chicago, you'll wish your own death by ebola while sitting in that traffic. I've made that drive a number of times, and it's never NOT a traffic nightmare. At least once, I've taken 3+ hours to drive that route. Unless something has drastically changed in the last few years, I wouldn't do it.

I think they just did a major revamp of that whole stretch in the last couple years so there's 5 lanes the whole way. I remember hearing horror stories about driving that stretch so I was really nervous to drive it. We did it for the first time 2 years ago (driving east on a Friday afternoon) and it wasn't bad at all. We've never been stuck for too long on every drive since then, granted, we've only done it 3 times total so we could have just gotten lucky.

I'm going to fight for an exception and drive from here I think. Flying to Chicago and driving an hour seems dumb, hopefully they'll allow it. 

[keweenawlove]

Apr 10, 2014 10:12:06 GMT -5 @sessalee said:

I'm going to fight for an exception and drive from here I think. Flying to Chicago and driving an hour seems dumb, hopefully they'll allow it. 

You're coming from SE Michigan, right? That would make so much more sense. It's a super easy drive. We've done it from Iowa to Detroit over flying. I think flying might almost take longer if you have to drive an extra hour after you get there.