Driving directions from Tampa to Birmingham?

[TampaTower]

Whats the best way to drive from Tampa to Birmingham?

Mapquest and Google show two different ways.  Google is shorter in miles but longer in estimated time.

Google:

http://www.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official_s&tab=wl&q=

Mapquest:

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?go=1&do=nw&rmm=1&un=m&cl=EN&ct=NA&rsres=1&1ffi=&1l=&1g=&1pl=&1v=&1n=&2ffi=&2l=&2g=&2pl=&2v=&2n=&1pn=&1a=&1c=tampa&1s=fl&1z=&2pn=&2a=&2c=birmingham&2s=al&2z=&r=f

[Guest]

The Google way is shorter.  They underestimate the time.

[twillybull]

Anyone know what traffic is like up through the center of Alabama?  Does that US 231 have bad traffic?  Lots of stop lights?  State Troopers?

[BullGrad95]

Be assured that an road that starts with "US" instead of "I" will have it's share of small towns and stoplights on the way.  Talked to my father who travels Florida/Bama all the time with work, and his best suggestion was taking I-75 to ATL and then taking I-20 to B'Ham.

[hbryan]

The shortest time distance, 8-1/2-9 hours is I-75 north to I-20 west.  You don't want to take the road through Troy and all the other small towns, it'll add 2 hours to the drive.  Worse, it'll give you those small Mayberry town blues that the Putrid Purple Pirates must feel on a daily basis.

DRIVE SAFE!!

[Guest]

There is a large construction project north of Valdosta (81 miles of Interstate 75) which may make that route just as slow as going through a few small towns in Alabama...

http://www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/fielddistricts/d4/interstatereconstruction/interstatereconstruction2.shtml

According to this PDF document, some of it was completed in Summer 2006 while other sections are slated for completion in 2007.

http://www.dot.state.ga.us/documents/pdf/const-map/const-map.pdf

Just something to consider...

[BullGrad95]

There is a large construction project north of Valdosta (81 miles of Interstate 75) which may make that route just as slow as going through a few small towns in Alabama...

http://www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/fielddistricts/d4/interstatereconstruction/interstatereconstruction2.shtml

According to this PDF document, some of it was completed in Summer 2006 while other sections are slated for completion in 2007.

http://www.dot.state.ga.us/documents/pdf/const-map/const-map.pdf

Just something to consider...

Just drove that route over the Thanksgiving weekend.  Speed does slow to 50mph in some spots, but it was not too bad when I went through on Friday.

[T-Man]

I have done both ways 1 time to troy and 1 to birmingham..  We will probably be going the 19 route (backward podunk way)  Unless of course there is a huge caravan!   We will have 4 cars pulling out from New Port richey around am on the 22nd!

[Economics_Nerd82]

Head north on 75, hang a left at 95.  

[Apis Bull]

Head north on 75, hang a left at 95.  

Since 75 and 95 don't cross that would be impossible.