Travelling to NE from TX - Road help!

[Tengri]

Hello guys, I’ll be traveling north into Omaha from Texas. Taking 35 as far as about Wichita. After that I’m a bit clueless as to which roads are open and flowing.

Which route should I take to avoid flood damaged roads and delays?

1) North to York, then east on I-80
2) Up turnpike to Topeka then north via Nebraska City
3) KC, then up I-29 (I think this one seems like the worst, from what I’ve read)


Thanks in advance!

 

[dinglefritz]

Hello guys, I’ll be traveling north into Omaha from Texas. Taking 35 as far as about Wichita. After that I’m a bit clueless as to which roads are open and flowing.

Which route should I take to avoid flood damaged roads and delays?

1) North to York, then east on I-80
2) Up turnpike to Topeka then north via Nebraska City
3) KC, then up I-29 (I think this one seems like the worst, from what I’ve read)


Thanks in advance!

IF you want low stress driving without having to go through a bunch of small towns, probably your best bet is highway 81 to I-80 then shoot straight in to Omaha from the west. It seems like the road situation changes daily on very short notice in Nebraska and South Dakota and the map apps don't necessarily always have updated info. I had to make a trip up to Sioux Falls SD the other day and several routes I normally have taken were closed due to either road damage or water over the road and my wife's google maps on her I phone didn't have any idea they were closed. She kept saying, "My phone says that's the way we should go". My reply was, "the barricades say probably not".

 

[RedArmageddon]

Hello guys, I’ll be traveling north into Omaha from Texas. Taking 35 as far as about Wichita. After that I’m a bit clueless as to which roads are open and flowing.

Which route should I take to avoid flood damaged roads and delays?

1) North to York, then east on I-80
2) Up turnpike to Topeka then north via Nebraska City
3) KC, then up I-29 (I think this one seems like the worst, from what I’ve read)


Thanks in advance!

81 to York. I do it twice a year from Austin..

 

[tpmcg]

i'd avoid going thru topeka.
75 is mostly 2-lane.
its 4-lane all the way to york from wichita.
roads look to be open on kdot and Ndor sites....

 

[TampaBaySkers]

35 to Topeka. Then highway 75 to Omaha. This is the route I take from OKC.

 

[schuele]

Wichita to York is a much better drive than it was in the old days, when the 4-lane ended at Salina. Doubt you would save much time taking a different route.

 

[RedArmageddon]

Wichita to York is a much better drive than it was in the old days, when the 4-lane ended at Salina. Doubt you would save much time taking a different route.

Exactly, but you get two hour stretch where you only get hog futures, and soy bean updates on the radio!

 

[aNUstart]

35 to Topeka. Then highway 75 to Omaha. This is the route I take from OKC.

With I-29 closed, Hwy 75 is VERY busy right now north of Hwy 36. I'd take 81 to York.

 

[huskerfan66]

Agreed on 81 to York

 

[kidofSN]

Take 81 to York and take 4 lane all the way. Right now it really is a no-brainer!

 

[kaz36]

I agree with everyone that 81 to York is probably your best way of going. It will be 4 lanes the whole way. Topeka to Omaha on 75 isn't bad, but once you get north of Holton, KS it is 2 lanes and then once you get north of HWY 36, it gets very busy. Lot's of idiots on highway 75.

 

[BigRedPimp]

With I-29 closed, Hwy 75 is VERY busy right now north of Hwy 36. I'd take 81 to York.

Agreed. 75 north is/was a dumpster fire north of 36. We took 29 to 36 at St Joe then over to 77 north. Much better on way back then taking 75 down to St Joe.

Not sure if additional rain has changed that recently though.

 

[planored]

81 to York, been doing it for 30 yrs. follow signs to Salina when you get to Wichita

 

[bleedhuskerred]

Just drove home from Oklahoma City yesterday. 81 North to York then I-80 to Omaha is definitely the way to go.

 

[RedArmageddon]

Just drove home from Oklahoma City yesterday. 81 North to York then I-80 to Omaha is definitely the way to go.

You can't beat that route. I've been doing it since 2001

 

[BeautifulDayintheNeighborhood]

I usually just take a greyhound

 

[tpmcg]

ive traveled it different ways.
it is, and has been the best route, even before 81 went to 4 lane circa’93.

 

[Baxter48]

You don’t have to slow down though the towns in Nebraska anymore 70 from Chester to York

 

[1 nu rugby]

Best option currently is US-81 N to York, and East on I-80. Also, each state has an updated D.O.T. website and most are on the dial 511 system via cell tower connections, for real time updates within the state your are calling from. Safe travels.

 

[scorcher2]

Bring Childress with you

 

[husker6873]

I've lived in Dallas, TX area since I graduated in 73 & always take 81 Wichita to York, then I-35 to DFW & I make the trip at least yearly if not more. Safe travels.

 

[BigRedBeliever]

There's only a few stops one has to make going north to York and then I-80 east. You probably can lock it in at 80 MPH and never get stopped. Its a slam dunk this is the best way to go....unless you're not in a hurry...

 

[VandallHuskerJulie]

Use the Nebraska 511 on the go app for the most up to date road conditions. (at least that's what NE Dept of Transportation says.)

 

[kruller]

Like the others have said I35 to Wichita, 81 to York, and I80 to Omaha is the most common route. While driving to Austin and back from Lincoln it was actually faster and more enjoyable zigzagging through Kansas on the highways taking you through Abilene, Clay Center, Washington, and Hanover to Beatrice. From there you could take 77 to I80 and over to Omaha. It was crazy going from bumper to bumper traffic for 4 hours straight in Texas to rarely seeing a car on the highways through Kansas.

 

[Nebraska Fan]

Hello guys, I’ll be traveling north into Omaha from Texas. Taking 35 as far as about Wichita. After that I’m a bit clueless as to which roads are open and flowing.

Which route should I take to avoid flood damaged roads and delays?

1) North to York, then east on I-80
2) Up turnpike to Topeka then north via Nebraska City
3) KC, then up I-29 (I think this one seems like the worst, from what I’ve read)


Thanks in advance!

Arduous!

Follow 81 to Hebron then top of the tank and buy a 12 pack. Take the gravels to York, get a motel and finish the trip in the morning.

 

[JohnRossEwing]

I have never heard of like...half these roads.

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

I have never heard of like...half these roads.

Get out more.

 

[NUSouth]

IF you want low stress driving without having to go through a bunch of small towns, probably your best bet is highway 81 to I-80 then shoot straight in to Omaha from the west. It seems like the road situation changes daily on very short notice in Nebraska and South Dakota and the map apps don't necessarily always have updated info. I had to make a trip up to Sioux Falls SD the other day and several routes I normally have taken were closed due to either road damage or water over the road and my wife's google maps on her I phone didn't have any idea they were closed. She kept saying, "My phone says that's the way we should go". My reply was, "the barricades say probably not".

Isn't there a toll rode in the middle of Kansas somewhere that jumps up,on you ? Take your time and take 77 north. Stop in some of those small towns for a cold adult beverage.

 

[kaz36]

Isn't there a toll rode in the middle of Kansas somewhere that jumps up,on you ? Take your time and take 77 north. Stop in some of those small towns for a cold adult beverage.

I-35 from the Kansas border to just south of Topeka is a toll road and then it turns into I 335 to Topeka. It is part of the Kansas Turnpike.

 

[cubsker]

Still York to get to wichita?

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Still York to get to wichita?

for me it adds about 45 min to the trip to go up to York rather than Topeka taking the turnpike. Sometimes I will take hwy 2 East, just south of Nebraska City over to I-29 north especially if I am staying downtown Omaha. That is coming from the south.

 

[scarletred]

What’s up with digging up almost 6 year old thread.

 

[ADV1]

I live in Fort Worth and my wife and I's folks live in Lincoln... I always truck right up through to York and then over... Traffic is usually nothing, it's 4 lane road and I can kick back and enjoy the ride once I'm through Wichita... getting through the Shithole known as Oklahoma City is the worst part of the entire drive

 

[dinglefritz]

What’s up with digging up almost 6 year old thread.

My guess is he’s making the trip and remembered there was a thread about it. Asking for any updates. I just made the trip to Austin and back. Un fortunately hit OKC at about 4pm then Dallas at the tail of rush hour on a Friday night🤮

 

[cubsker]

My guess is he’s making the trip and remembered there was a thread about it. Asking for any updates. I just made the trip to Austin and back. Un fortunately hit OKC at about 4pm then Dallas at the tail of rush hour on a Friday night🤮

Exactly

 

[cubsker]

Google says York is fastest from where I'm at in SW Omaha.

 

[dinglefritz]

Google says York is fastest from where I'm at in SW Omaha.

Man just avoid peak times around OKC. There’s a couple of spots where traffic narrows to one lane which backs things up for miles.

 

[cubsker]

Man just avoid peak times around OKC. There’s a couple of spots where traffic narrows to one lane which backs things up for miles.

I'm only going to wichita

 

[SickOfPractice]

The further north you go the fewer Buc-ees you will encounter so you need to buy an outdoor fire pit early on in your travels.

 

[GBRforLife1]

I live in Fort Worth and my wife and I's folks live in Lincoln... I always truck right up through to York and then over... Traffic is usually nothing, it's 4 lane road and I can kick back and enjoy the ride once I'm through Wichita... getting through the Shithole known as Oklahoma City is the worst part of the entire drive

Truly incredible how road designers can screw this stuff up so bad. The 35W interstate in fort worth is another great abomination.