I-95 Alternate Routes - RT301

[sunking]

We will be leaving for a real quick trip to the "World" from just north of Philadelphia on Friday, Feb 18th. I am hoping to make it out of the house by about 2:30pm to beat the rush hour traffic thru Philly but it places us in Baltimore and Washington at rush hour time. I have read that there is an alternate route that you can take that bypasses Baltimore and Washington. That route is RT301.

Has anyone taken RT301? Below is a brief summary of the trip that I found on the I-95 Information Guide website (http://www.usastar.com/i95/alternateroutes/301BaltDC.htm). Is it pretty much highway driving with no traffic lights? I would hate to think I was avoiding the traffic around Baltimore and Washington and then get stuck at lots of traffic lights and the such.

I would appreciate anyone's opinion about this alternate route.

Thanks in advance,
Sunking

 

[Windjammer]

We have driven this way and would highly recommend it. We take 13 South from just over the Delaware Memorial Bridge to Route 1 South to 301, then take 301 over the Bay Bridge (Past Annapolis) to 301/50 and then to the exit for 301 South. At this point you are on a local type road until you pass Waldorf and you will hit lights. This will take you to the Bypass around Richmond.

You may hit some traffic on 301 before you hit Waldorf but it is predictable, just deal with it for a short period of time. This, in my opinion, is better than 95 through Baltimore and Washington, where you neve know what traffic you will hit. We have been in situations where it took 5 hours to get from Washington to Richmond.

Steve

 

[Uncleromulus]

I guess it's better than rush hour thru Balto and Washingtion, but it is hardly a superhighway.There are lights aplenty, and speeds vary--and there will be traffic as well. I took it once to by-pass DC on a trip to Williamsburg, and I believe it added to the time it took for the trip. Not a pleasant drive, and I never took that route again.

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

We live in Annapolis and we used to always go 301. But now there are so many traffic lights between rt50 and the potomic river bridge. And the traffic can be really bad. Now we try to time it so we hit the beltway at non rush hour and go 495 (beltway) to I95 south.

 

[Jamesbyr]

301 looks tempting, but remember, these smaller communities have rush hours too, as well as schoolbuses.
My favorite route through Washington takes me through the I-895 tunnel at Baltimore, then US 295 to Washington (no trucks) then US 50 (New York Avenue) into DC (against outbound traffic) and left onto I-395 just after New Jersey Avenue. 395 feeds directly into the express lanes of 95 (if you have enough people in the car) after it crosses the beltway south of the city, and you avoid the horrible interchange at that point.

At the same time, however, I would not want to attempt this before 7 PM. Philadelphia traffic seems like child's play compared to DC.

 

[Moose for Sprite]

I am a true southern Maryland boy and have lived here all my life. My childhood was spent along 301 at the Potomac river. I have seen Waldorf grow from one traffic light to too many to count.

While there are many lights it is predictable and you will get through.
Once you hit traffic around Bowie it will stay with you to the 301 "Nice" bridge.

 

[NC Belle]

There's a toll of about $3.00 on rt. 301 going from MD to VA--but no toll coming back. The MD rest area before the bridge is usually clean. The traffic is not too bad in comparsion to the other MD/VA/DC arteries. ---I grew up in So. MD and use this road to visit family.

 

[sunking]

Thanks for the responses. They appear pretty mixed at best. We are leaving today from Philadelphia at about 2:00pm and I think it is pretty safe to assume that if we take I95 we will get thru Baltimore before rush hour but I expect that we will hit DC at about 5:00. So, what would you do, take RT301 and go around the mess in DC or stick with I95 and brave the mess in DC.

A simple RT301 or I95 response will be fine.

Thanks for your opinion in advance.
Sunking

 

[TW1]

Any more thoughts on using 301 to avoid the 495 beltway?

 

[PortieOwner]

I drove it a few weeks ago from central VA back to the DC suburbs during late afternoon rush. No traffic to speak of south of La Plata, MD. Even Waldorf was not that bad. Bowling Green to Greenbelt, MD was about 1:45. Avoid the Beltway these days--there is major construction around the Wilson Bridge and lots of other unexplainable jams.

Portie

 

[clkelley]

I just took 301 from Maryland to Fredericksburg (near Fort AP Hill) area last Friday around rush hour. It was pretty slow BUT from recent reports I had heard 95 was much worse.

One thing you could do is just before you cross the Potomac River there is a GREAT seafood restaurant called Captain Billys that is right on the river, has a great view and awesome food!!! You could spend the rush hour time at the restaurant then continue on down 301 and catch 95 near Bowling Green.

Carol

 

[ccw]

After dealing with a mess in/around DC on a Friday trip to NYC, we came back to NC via 301 as others have detailed..thru Camp AP Hill, etc.). We left Manhattan at 1 PM and headed south. My husband thought the route was great. I was the one driving, though, and I was pretty annoyed that just when I'd "rev it up" to a whopping 50-55 mph, we'd hit ANOTHER little town and the 35 mph speed limit! He liked it because we kept moving (in other words, no traffic at a dead stop). PLENTY of stoplights but probably did save us some time and would choose it again but forget using cruise control on this route! Ideally, wouldn't mind doing it when we had time to check out some of the small towns we drove thru...I was getting hungry seeing all of the signs for crab specials!!

 

[Uncleromulus]

301 is probably a "good" alternative now thanks to the mess on 95. At least you are "moving"--albeit not very fast.

 

[SELLINGINNJ]

301 is probably a "good" alternative now thanks to the mess on 95. At least you are "moving"--albeit not very fast.

Hello,
Can you give me more details about the "mess" on 95? We are heading down this Saturday from NJ.

Thanks a bunch,
Denise

 

[BuzzAndWoodyBoy]

They have it narrowed down to one lane each way for the construction. There have been 15 to 20 mile backups on the past couple of weekends. It starts Friday late evening thru early Mon morning. Highly reccomend an alternate route. The suggestion of going thru DC (taking Baltimore Washington Parkway to 395) is a good one but look at a map and make sure you have it planned out. 301 is also a decent alternative if you are going early/late enough. As others have said - it's a local road. Sort of like 9 or 1 in NJ (or least what they were like a few years ago when I lived there). They are running announcements on all of the local radio stations saying not to go over the Wilson Bridge. So they really expect it to be horrid. Good luck...

 

[TW1]

Is going west around the 495 an alternative?

 

[BuzzAndWoodyBoy]

Not really. They narrow the bridge in both directions and the entrance to 95S is relatively close to the bridge (5 miles or so - I'm in MD and infrequently go that way). The traffic would probably be less but it would still be bad since both directions are under construction. Plus the northern part of the beltway to the west usually has bad traffic, even on weekends. If I were driving over a weekend I would find an alternate route. Going thru the city wouldn't be bad especially since 395 dumps you right onto 95S.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Denise:
It's all construction and all around the Wilson Bridge--we just got back from Williamsburg Va..Went down on last Wednesday around 10:30 AM or so, thinking we had things beat. WRONG!!!! It took us nearly two hours longer to get to Williamsburg, and much of that was stop and go around DC.
Now--as you come down I-95 in Maryland and hit the Capitol Beltway (495) the normal route is East(left), toward the Wilson Bridge. That is actually THE I-95 route. During this construction phase, the suggested alternate is to go right (West) when you reach 495. That will eventually take you to 95 as well--but because it is the traffic radio "suggested" alternate, it's now a complete mess too!!! In fact, some earlier reports suggested the Wilson Bridge was FASTER!! Think about that---.
What time on Saturday are you leaving?? If you can possibly get to the construction area rather early (before 6:00AM) you might be OK. At least there won't be any "rush hour" traffic, and that will help...
And if you do go thru DC "proper", keep those doors locked and the windows up!!!

 

[TW1]

OK you are all very very helpful. But one last time, help me out a bit more. Pretty Please?

Philly to Orlando this Saturday 8/21.

We will hit the top of the 95 / 495 loop around 7:30 am to 8:30 a.m.

Plan #1) is to go east on 495 to 295 south, through DC to 395 then back onto to 95 South.

Plan #2) Take 495 west.

Plan #3) Barrel down 495 east and hope for the best, figuring its six of one, half-dozen of the other.

 

[BuzzAndWoodyBoy]

but I would just get on the Baltimore Washington Parkway (295) after you go thru whichever tunnel in Baltimore you are taking. It is actually slightly shorter (miles wise to do it this way also). There will be no traffic in the District on a Saturday morning that early. The roads are really bumpy thru here but you are on major roads for most of the way. You might be able to do ok the other 2 ways but do you really want to chance hitting a back-up?