Driving Through WashDC, July 4 Weekend

[kidd_freeper]

I'm hoping to get a response from a DISer in the Washington DC area, or NJ/NY/NE/PA driver who has driven through DC around a holiday weekend.



I plan to leave the Hartford area at 1 am on Saturday, July 3. Mapquest tells me that I will reach the Springfield Interchange (where the southern end of the I495 loop intersects with I95) at 7:30 am.



Will I definitely get stuck in traffic, or is 50-50, or am I likely to be ok?

I know nothing is certain
I was hoping I could hear your experience
I am aware of alternate routes (DelMarVa peninsula and Appalacian Mtns), but those routes add an hour or more to the trip.

Thanks in advance!

 

[HeatherC]

We plan on driving that weekend too...but we are in Massachusetts and heading to Hilton Head. I think because it is July 4th weekend we will take the 81 route instead. I'm thinking with turnover days for beach houses anywhere from MD to the Outer banks, in addition to the regular holiday traffic 95 will more of a nightmare than usual.

We drove from Mass. to Williamsburg over April break and coming home at 8am on a Saturday we got stuck between DC and Baltimore.

81 may add an extra hour, but I think I'm leaning towards it for that weekend. Coming home we'll probably do 95.

Have a great trip!

 

[Sadie22]

Expect traffic everywhere that weekend. If it were a normal Saturday, you might be okay, but it's hard to say with the beginning of the 4th of July weekend. Friday evening will be worse, but it's hard to predict what Saturday morning will be like. Many people take the following week for vacation so as to use up fewer vacation days, and it being summer -- plan for being stuck in backups. Then if you aren't it will be a pleasant bonus.

 

[dis-happy]

We plan on driving that weekend too...but we are in Massachusetts and heading to Hilton Head. I think because it is July 4th weekend we will take the 81 route instead. I'm thinking with turnover days for beach houses anywhere from MD to the Outer banks, in addition to the regular holiday traffic 95 will more of a nightmare than usual.

We drove from Mass. to Williamsburg over April break and coming home at 8am on a Saturday we got stuck between DC and Baltimore.

81 may add an extra hour, but I think I'm leaning towards it for that weekend. Coming home we'll probably do 95.

Have a great trip!

Good call. And if you're leaving the Sat. after 4th of July, leave as early as possible....it will be an equally heavy traffic day heading off island and onto the 95 madness.


PSA: don't speed on SC I-95 between starting at marker 25 (until you exit at 8). They just put automatic ticket cameras on the freeway there.

 

[HeatherC]

Thanks dis-happy...will keep that in mind. Tricky move with the ticket cameras.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Wow, that is the first I have ever heard of a ticket camera being used on an interstate.

Those guys are going to make a lot of money off that.

24/7 ticket writing! It may be like printing money each and every day.

 

[Missytara]

I live in DE and you can expect a lot of traffic that weekend.

First of all, a lot of people who live in DC own summer places in the southern beaches in DE. Some of them drive out Friday and then return home Sunday night. However, that weekend will be different.

Sunday is July 4th and Monday is a state/federal holiday. So most likely people will be taking off the whole entire week and may opt to leave Saturday morning, in lieu of trying to rush down there after work on Friday night.

That is also what happens with the people who live in N. DE and own beach places in S. DE. They will leave early on Saturday morning as well.

Good luck!

 

[kidd_freeper]

Thanks for the responses (BB,HC, S22, MT) and the valuable insider info from D-H.

Anyone else have experience or tips? This could be a valuable thread.

 

[dblr]

Also watch out for speed cameras in the constuction area near Balt. right @ the split for 95 & 895 on the north side of Balt.
I really do not think you would add too much time to your trip if you took Rt 301 south to the south side of DC as we travel that way all the time, most of the beach traffic will be going the other way.

 

[Cmbar]

I agree with Sadie, you might be ok on a normal Saturday but being the 3rd of July I would say you should plan on some traffic, even at 7:30. That being said, I would plan on traffic everywhere that weekend. 81 going through Virginia can be crowded as well. I say stick to your plan, but plan traffic. It moves, it just is slow. The earlier you can get through Springfield Interchange ( I call it malfunction junction) the better. Also, use the HOV lanes facility in the median, it runs about 30 miles from the Springfield exchange to Dumfries, Va . Those lanes will be open going south during the time you arrive on Saturday morning. You can at least ride most of that stretch without the trucks. Here is a link to info on that http://www.commuterpage.com/hov.htm

 

[Missytara]

I agree with Sadie, you might be ok on a normal Saturday but being the 3rd of July I would say you should plan on some traffic, even at 7:30. That being said, I would plan on traffic everywhere that weekend. 81 going through Virginia can be crowded as well. I say stick to your plan, but plan traffic. It moves, it just is slow. The earlier you can get through Springfield Interchange ( I call it malfunction junction) the better. Also, use the HOV lanes facility in the median, it runs about 30 miles from the Springfield exchange to Dumfries, Va . Those lanes will be open going south during the time you arrive on Saturday morning. You can at least ride most of that stretch without the trucks. Here is a link to info on that http://www.commuterpage.com/hov.htm

Actually, there is still a lot of traffic around DC on a Saturday, especially in August when most people take their vacations. A lot of people in DC vacation in DE at the beaches and they opt to leave Saturday morning if they are staying for the entire week.

And it will be especially bad on July 4th weekend, since a great deal of DC people are federal employees and have off Monday the 5th as a holiday. A lot of people will take that week off, because you lose less vacation time.....

 

[Cmbar]

Actually, there is still a lot of traffic around DC on a Saturday, especially in August when most people take their vacations. A lot of people in DC vacation in DE at the beaches and they opt to leave Saturday morning if they are staying for the entire week.

And it will be especially bad on July 4th weekend, since a great deal of DC people are federal employees and have off Monday the 5th as a holiday. A lot of people will take that week off, because you lose less vacation time.....

I agree with you but the Delaware traffic will be on the inside of the 495 beltway going toward Rte 50 to the Chesapeake bridge. The traffic will be bad in the area south of springfield because people are going to the Outer Bank beaches in North Carolina. We have done both Ocean City/Delaware and North Carolina traffic often and quite frankly Friday evening and Saturday mornings are bad every weekend of the summer. There is no way to avoid this unless you alter the route. The 301 route is actually pretty sweet once you get past Waldorf traffic lights so that is definitely an option. But staying on I-95 and then seeing if it is crazy you could always bail off to the 301.

Quite frankly the OP is going to hit traffic unless they pass through DC in the early AM hours say between 4-6am. There just isn't a way to avoid it.

 

[HeatherC]

OP: Now I'm thinking we may actually leave Thursday evening....like 7pm and drive as far as we can through the night. Even taking 81 sounds like we'll still hit traffic.

Is that an option for you....leaving say Friday night around 8 or 9pm? That way you could be through DC before 4am.

We may have to turn into nocturnal animals for our trips! And I'm thinking even that may not help much!

 

[kidd_freeper]

HeatherC-

I'm still on the fence.

If I can beat the traffic taking I95, we'd save 1-2 hours on a 19 hour trip.
If I take I81, it'll be more scenic and a smaller amount of stress, but longer.

I expect to see a lot of traffic no matter when or where I go. I don't mind a lot of cars/trucks that are moving at the speed limit, but the stop and go type of traffic wears me out and stresses my wife out, and must be avoided.

The 301 bail-out option that Cmbar suggested is worth considering.

The 4-6AM window might be something to shoot for, but I'd have to leave at 11 pm to hit it. I'm an experienced night driver and I know that 2am-3am is tough for me unless I've had recent sleep. And my wife doesn't like driving between 10pm and 5am.

I guess I'm going to keep reading input from DISers.
Is there any advantage to a DISer "convoy"? Walkie-talkies to keep each other alert?

 

[Missytara]

I agree with you but the Delaware traffic will be on the inside of the 495 beltway going toward Rte 50 to the Chesapeake bridge. The traffic will be bad in the area south of springfield because people are going to the Outer Bank beaches in North Carolina. We have done both Ocean City/Delaware and North Carolina traffic often and quite frankly Friday evening and Saturday mornings are bad every weekend of the summer. There is no way to avoid this unless you alter the route. The 301 route is actually pretty sweet once you get past Waldorf traffic lights so that is definitely an option. But staying on I-95 and then seeing if it is crazy you could always bail off to the 301.

Quite frankly the OP is going to hit traffic unless they pass through DC in the early AM hours say between 4-6am. There just isn't a way to avoid it.

Exactly! Another person dealing with weekend beach traffic!

We work in Dover, and my boss lives in Lewes. Every Friday night, all summer, it takes him hours to get home - and he said they have even discovered all the back service roads that the locals used to be able to use to get around on weekends.

 

[kidd_freeper]

...The 301 route is actually pretty sweet once you get past Waldorf traffic lights ...

This sounds interesting. I looked at a map and see that there is (what appears to be a major highway/road) Route 5 that connects the southeast corner of the I495 beltway with 301, just north of Waldorf.

Would it make sense to take the eastern side of the beltway to Route 5 to 301? I'd hit the lights in Waldorf, but it seems that I'd miss any traffic issues south of the beltway.

Or was this the bail-out option that you mentioned before?

 

[Cmbar]

Yep that is it. You would go East side of the beltway and you would get off at 5 to connect to 301. You can take 301 all the way to just north of Richmond if you like.

Once through Waldorf (which in the early AM shouldn't be busy with locals) you will have a lot of open road with two lanes. We found it very pleasant when we had forewarning from family members that the I-95 corridor was bogged.

I-95 will be faster if all is well, but so much could go wrong in that area. If you get off at 5 you will miss the cross over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge too. And that Springfield interchange is a bit intimidating! Be alert if you go through there.

Are you doing the whole trip straight through?

 

[Cmbar]

Also, If you decide you want to try I-95 there are spots along 95 that you can bail and get on US1 which runs parallel with 95. I haven't done it , but my sister has and she said it was better than sitting in the stop and go.

With the 301 route you have to be committed because you can't cross back over the Potomac to get back on 95.

Good luck!

 

[sharadoc]

Also, If you decide you want to try I-95 there are spots along 95 that you can bail and get on US1 which runs parallel with 95. I haven't done it , but my sister has and she said it was better than sitting in the stop and go.

With the 301 route you have to be committed because you can't cross back over the Potomac to get back on 95.

Good luck!

We experienced the 95 mess last August and this 301 Route sounds interesting. Are you saying that it's okay on Saturdays? We would SO prefer to do something like this, rather than going all the way over to 81 and 77 on a Saturday in June, so any ideas are much appreciated. Thanks OP for starting the thread

 

[kidd_freeper]

Yep that is it. You would go East side of the beltway and you would get off at 5 to connect to 301. You can take 301 all the way to just north of Richmond if you like.

Once through Waldorf (which in the early AM shouldn't be busy with locals) you will have a lot of open road with two lanes. We found it very pleasant when we had forewarning from family members that the I-95 corridor was bogged.

I-95 will be faster if all is well, but so much could go wrong in that area. If you get off at 5 you will miss the cross over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge too. And that Springfield interchange is a bit intimidating! Be alert if you go through there.

Are you doing the whole trip straight through?

We are driving straight to Jacksonville to spend a few days with relatives. Then to Kissimmee.

Thanks for your input.

I just bought a Garmin in-car navigation system with traffic monitoring.

I think I'll try I-95, knowing that there is a good plan 'B' available (Rte 301). I'll just have to monitor traffic once I get on the beltway.