Mountain bypass

[David Orr]

I want to leave Detroit are for Durham NC soon and would like to avoid mountain driving. Need help finding the most appropriate route.

[glc]

Welcome to RTA!

Unfortunately, you can't avoid mountains without doubling the time and distance. You would have to take I-75 to I-71 to I-65 to Birmingham, then I-85 to I-40.

[AZBuck]

We occasionally get requests for ways to avoid "mountain driving". Sometimes it's because the individual is seeking to avoid snowy or icy weather; sometimes it's because they seek to avoid narrow, twisty roads; sometimes it's because they plan to tow a trailer of some sort. Without knowing what, exactly, you're concerns are, it's tough to give you meaningful advice. For you to completely avoid the Appalachians, you'd have to swing way around to the south as glc indicated. If you're just looking to avoid 'mountain roads' then you can use Interstates that follow the Potomac River 'through' the mountains and then the Great Valley south from around Hagerstown MD. If you're just seeking respite from winter storms, then route doesn't matter so much as the weather at the time of your travel and you can plan on a more direct route through the mountains again using Interstates (which are built to specifications that keep them from being narrow, twisty or steep) through the heart of the mountains, using any saved time to simply sit out any adverse weather if need be. I'd probably plan on making an overnight stop on a trip this long so that I wouldn't have to push myself and/or would have time to either make a few short stops along the way, handle unforeseen circumstances, or both.

AZBuck