95 DRIVERS: Need help. South of Richmond July 4th wknd?

[HeatherC]

Hi Everyone:

I'm still trying to figure out our route in July from Mass..

I think we are planning to leave the Sturbridge area around 2am on Friday, July 2 and take the 81 south route.

Would like to get back on 95 by taking 64 east to Richmond. Am I crazy doing this? Will it be a mess?

What do you think the traffic will be like Friday afternoon south of Richmond on fourth of July weekend? I'm thinking like 3pm?

Should we just stay on 81 to 77? Will that be bad too?

Any advice is really appreciated!

 

[LuvEeyore]

take 64 e from i 81 to outside richmond then follow 295 around richmond then get back on 95 before you get to petersburg. Check out a map. If a lot of traffic or wrecks on a holiday weekend look at i 85 as an alternate route

 

[HeatherC]

Thanks! That is the route we are planning tentatively. Still trying to find out how busy 95 will be after Richmond heading into NC, SC, etc.?

If it's supposed to be really busy, we may just stay on 81.

Anyone else know?

Thanks so much!

 

[GranddadTom]

HeatherC -

I think you already know the answer. Friday afternoon preceding a three-day weekend in the summer...... The only really bad experience that I've had south of Richmond was a few years back when we drove to WDW on the weekend after Christmas. Then, of all places, where the traffic stopped and crawled for miles was where Rt. 26 joined Rt. 95 in South Carolina. There's around 80 miles of two lane road until you get to Georgia that wasn't able to handle the volume. I suspect there will be a lot of volume for your whole trip.

 

[sharadoc]

I looked at that route and assumed that 64 East would be full of beach traffic/weekend/holiday stuff. Am I wrong? I'd worry that you'd be stuck in that traffic, just like the 95 stuff above Richmond.

Any experts care to enlighten?