The road not taken

Returning home from Denver on Sunday July 26 I originally intended to follow I80 through Pennsylvania and then swing north on I287 to the Tappen Zee bridge. However as I neared the intersection with I81 I encountered signs warning of a major delay ahead on I80. Since I had already sat through one construction delay and had bad memories of delays on I80 crossing into New Jersey on Sunday night I decided on the spur of the moment to take an alternative route. This involves taking I81 north to Scranton, crossing into New York on I84, cutting south on 17 and eventually taking the Bear Mountain Bridge across the Hudson. I have taken this alternative before (according to mapquest it is .16 miles shorter but 1 minute longer in driving time) but generally take I80 as it is more familiar. On Sunday traffic on the alternative was heavy in places but without major delays.

I later learned by diverting I had not only avoided the delay on I80 but the aftermath of this horrific head on wrong way accident on the Taconic which I would have driven directly past if I had followed by original plan.

I was surprised to learn today that the wrong way driver was drunk and stoned. Perhaps I shouldn't have been as an awful lot of wrong way drivers are drunk. Still you just don't expect a woman driving in the middle of the day with 5 children in the car to be so impaired.