Best way to bypass Dallas, Tx

[Laelkhunter]

Hoping some of the Dallas, Texas locals can help, or someone familiar with travel in the area. We travel from New Orleans to Chama, NM every year for our annual Elk hunt. We have to travel through Dallas, Tx and without fail, no matter what day or what time we go through, we always get caught up in traffic congestion and/or construction along Interstate 635 and 35 in Dallas.
We usually take I-20 to I 635 north, then I 35 E to Denton. When we get to Denton, we get on 380 and head West to Decatur, then take 285/287 North to Amarillo.
Last year instead of hitting Dallas, we got off of I-20 in Tyler, and headed North to 380, then went West on 380 to Decatur.
It took us a lot longer that way, due to the traffic lights.
Any secret shortcuts, or are we destined to be stuck in Dallas traffic/construction as our yearly ritual?

Thanks for any suggestions-

 

[drthornton]

I feel for you....I live just off Hwy 380 west of McKinney. I am from Slidell, LA originally BTW.

I use the route you discuss for almost every western hunt(380 to Decatur, 287 to Amarillo).

It's tough to get around Dallas efficiently unless you are traveling at night. I generally leave at night and travel all night to avoid losing a day of hunting and to avoid traffic. If you can time your trip to hit Dallas between 8pm and 5am you should be in better shape. If you are gong thru the heart of Dallas I would consider wiggling to Hwy 114...going past DFW and Texas Motor Speedway and picking up 287 in Rhome. They have been working on 114 for years and I think it is well built out now, although I have not been that way in a while. Make a stop in at the Ft Worth Cabela's...its one of the biggest in the country with a pretty respectable Bargain Cave.

If that is not an option try to wiggle up to Hwy 82 via Hwy 69 on the east side of Metroplex and head west. It'll spit you out a little south of Wichita Falls. I went that way(picking up 69 in Greenville) traveling to an LSU football game a couple years ago. We left on a weekday morning and went that way to avoid morning traffic. It still seems long and I am not positive it took less time but at least we were moving.

Hope I helped

Danny

 

[Mmcan]

Look at taking I20 on the south side of Dallas all the way to 287 on the west side of Arlington. Takes you out towards Wichita Falls and then to Amarillo.

You can either go thru the center of Ft Worth, or link 820 on the east side of Ft Worth to the north-northwest to hit 287 again.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Thanks Danny. I was living in Eden Isles (now Oak Harbor) until Katrina. Lost the house and most everything else. Now relocated between NO and Baton Rouge. I would rather travel at night, and will consider hitting Big D around midnite, but that puts us leaving home around 4:00 pm. We stay in Quanah for the night.
Mmcan, I was wondering about continuing on I-20, and try going up I35W, but thought that would have us traveling through Dallas (south part), and thought that would be just as bad with the traffic going toward Ft. Worth, or is that usually lighter traffic? Your suggestion might work, thanks.

 

[drthornton]

Thanks Danny. I was living in Eden Isles (now Oak Harbor) until Katrina. Lost the house and most everything else. Now relocated between NO and Baton Rouge. I would rather travel at night, and will consider hitting Big D around midnite, but that puts us leaving home around 4:00 pm. We stay in Quanah for the night.

Small world...My grandparents lived in Eden Isles when I was a kid...111 Weatherly Cove. I remember so well because back in the 80s there was actually a guard at the guard hut and we had to say it every time we went thru. Grew up fishing and shrimping out of there. Good memories! Last of my family moved up here around Dallas just before Katrina.

My first TX Deer hunting lease was in Quanah. Really nice TDOT rest stop on the Childress side of Quanah BTW. I've stopped and slept in the parking lot a few times on trips back from western hunts.

 

[Laelkhunter]

The long street that took you to Weatherly Cove was Windward Passage. If you turned right three streets before Weatherly Cove, you turned right on Constellation which took you to the last street, Southern Star. That's where I lived for 20 years, 113 Southern Star.

 

[tlowell02]

I-20 barely skirts the south side of Dallas. Traffic, in my experience, is rarely an issue. 635 however is a nightmare no matter the time of day. I have always taken the I-20 to 287 or 820 route and moved along well.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Thanks tlowell02,
This year I will continue on I-20 and take 820 or 287, for sure. Mmcan also recommended that route as a possible alternative. I appreciate the responses. Can't be any worse than the perpetual parking lot on 635.

 

[Laelkhunter]

According to the map, 820 appears to be a toll road?? If I take it at 20W, where do you have to pay the toll, and how much is it for a GMC Yukon truck?

 

[bikerdavet]

I 20 to 820 to 287. I go thru before 6 am or after 7 pm whenever possible. Must have traveled Denver to Houston 50 times and this is the fastest way I found - and I think I tried them all....

 

[Laelkhunter]

I 20 to 820 to 287. I go thru before 6 am or after 7 pm whenever possible. Must have traveled Denver to Houston 50 times and this is the fastest way I found - and I think I tried them all....

Thanks bikerdavet,
Is 820 a toll road ? If so, how much, and where do you pay if getting on from I-20 ?

 

[tlowell02]

Unless something changed recently 820 isn't a toll road. Maybe some of the DFW folks know differently?

 

[bikerdavet]

I think it's the express/toll lanes project that throw folks off. I haven't been that way in two years but I don't remember ever going thru a toll booth on the 287/20 portion of 280. 280 can get busy too but I think that's everywhere in rush hour.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Again, thanks for the info. It would be defeating the purpose to take that route if I had to wait in a long line and go through a tollbooth.
I can't find anything recent other than my 2009 Rand McNally map that lists it as a tollroad. They also have the George Bush turnpike in Dallas shown the same way (as a tollroad). Hopefully 580 will not be a tollroad.

 

[drthornton]

George Bush is a Tollway but there are no Toll booths on any of the tollways in the Metroplex that I know of. They just send you a bill in the mail for the cost of a non-toll pass vehicle. No fines or extra charges. I think its called Zip Cash

 

[Laelkhunter]

Thanks dr, kinda like the redlight cameras we have here in NO ? You get a "little surprise" in the mail three weeks later

 

[cuerro viejo]

820 and 114 have pay by mail express lanes now.

Best advice, plan it where you hit DFW on off hours

 

[aggieland]

Use map quest and add a stop in Paris, tx.. New Orleans, to Paris to chama.. We live in North East TX and the Paris route is the way to go. Stay north of Dallas.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I take it NOT to try it between 7:00 am to 10:00 am, then about 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm? Of course, if there is an accident, then all bets are off, and I'm just screwed in that case.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Use map quest and add a stop in Paris, tx.. New Orleans, to Paris to chama.. We live in North East TX and the Paris route is the way to go. Stay north of Dallas.

Just saw your reply aggieland (we must have been typing at the same time). It looks like I can take 49 through Shreveport to Texarkana,then make my way to Paris, Tx on 82. That way looks good too.