I-70 & I-71 vs. I-79 & I-64

[amylevan]

We're hauling our 5th wheel to Louisville, KY.  We'll be leaving from my parents house in western pa.  Google maps gave us 2 options:
1.  I-70 W to I-71 S; 477 miles, 8 hrs 9 min
2.  I-79 S to I-64 W; 500 miles, 8 hrs 15 min

I'm not familiar with either route as we usually just travel closer to home.  The first goes across Ohio through Columbus and Cincinnati before heading down into KY.  The second goes down across West Virginia and then across.  How do the routes compare?  Is traffic heavier through Columbus and Cincinnati?  Are there a lot of grade changes across W. Va?  Any other info that would make one route better than the other?  (We're traveling with a 20 month old, so 8 hrs is a LONG time for him to be in a car and we want to make sure we do everything we can to make the trip go as smoothly as possible...)

 

[gwcowgill]

I can only speak for I-79 route. It is a nice route if you don't mind the hills/mountains. We have done this route numerous times in our RV's inclluding TT's, 5'ers and MH's with no problem. There are some grades that will slow you down some but not really bad. I believe the Ohio Route is a little flatter but have not taken that route.

 

[KarenS144]

We drove I-71 from Cinci to L'ville about a month ago when we picked up our MH.  I-71 is horrible: Potholes, rough pavement, ruts and lots of truck traffic.  Driving through Cinci is scary at best and can be a nightmare depending on the time of day.

I haven't been the I-64 route for over a year so it may be in the same shape now but I believe I'd take the chance and avoid I-71 & Cinci!

 

[AndyinLexington]

If you time your trip to avoid rush hour through Cincinnati, the traffic is not bad.  Best times to go through there is after 9 AM and before 2:30 PM, or after 7 PM.  I'd rather have the traffic issue than the grade issues on I-79.  I've been both ways, and the grades on I-79 will likely slow you down, extending that 8:15 time estimate quite a bit.