Route advice?

[rimomma66]

Hi All-
We're leaving RI on Good Friday morning (7:30- can't leave any earlier) and really need some route advice.
My options are:
1- Merritt to 287 (Tappan Zee) to Garden State to 95 (295 around Philly),695 around Baltimore to 301 from Baltimore to Richmond and back to 95 (staying in Emporia)
2. Same across Tappan Zee but 78 to 81 to 77 to 64 (staying in Emporia)
OR
3. Same as 1 to Baltimore and then taking the Eastern 495 shoot around DC and staying in Emporia.

Which would you do??

Thanks!!

 

[monorailsilver]

We drove from CT last April. We stayed at my moms since she is 1/2 from the NY line and we are coastal by the end of the CT river.

We did the Merritt to the GW since it was about 6:30-7 and there was. I traffic then we stayed on 95 pretty much the whole way.

We did do the BW parkway and took the east loops then DC and Richmond and I think Jacksonville-actually we drove thru JAX on the way down and took the east loop on the way home.

We really only hit traffic south of DC and north of Richmond so we got off and took route 1 for a bit. And on the way back on the NJT but I'd rather sit in traffic in Ny/NJ/CT then drive thru the tree lined nothing to look at southern states again.

We used google maps and the traffic app which I think is pretty accurate.

I think you will be fine going thru NY at that time for rush hour avoidance. But if you are headed thru CT on 95 you might hit some thru the New Haven area. I think you will be ok thru DC too.

 

[rwdavis2]

I would avoid 301. It's slow. If you go around Baltimore/DC between 9am and 3pm you should be able to miss the rush hour. IMHO, take I-95 as long and as far as you can.

 

[GranddadTom]

I wrote the following out last year when a poster asked "When to leave Worcester in order to get past Washington, D.C. on the first day?"

"This assumes that you take I-84 to I-91 to Rt. 15 to I-287 to I-87 to I-95 (across the GW Bridge). The three essential choke points that must be avoided are:
Southern Connecticut and GW Bridge 6:30 am to 10:00 am on weekdays
Baltimore 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm on weekdays
Washington Beltway and Northern Virginia 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm on weekdays


Worcester GW Bridge Del Mem Bridge Baltimore Tunnel Washington Fredricksburg
3:00 am 6:15 am 8:30 am 9:45 am 10:30 am 11:15 am
4:00 am 7:15 am 9:30 am 10:45 am 11:30 am 12:15 pm
5:00 am 8:15 am 10:30 am 11:45 am 12:30 pm 1:15 pm
6:00 am 9:15 am 11:30 am 12:45 pm 1:30 pm 2:15 pm
7:00 am 10:15 am 12:30 pm 1:45 pm 2:30 pm 3:15 pm
8:00 am 11:15 am 1:30 pm 2:45 pm 3:30 pm 4:15 pm
9:00 am 12:15 pm 2:30 pm 3:45 pm 4:30 pm 5:15 pm
10:00 am 1:15 pm 3:30 pm 4:45 pm 5:30 pm 6:15 pm
11:00 am 2:15 pm 4:30 pm 5:45 pm 6:30 pm 7:15 pm
12:00 pm 3:15 pm 5:30 pm 6:45 pm 7:30 pm 8:15 pm
1:00 pm 4:15 pm 6:30 pm 7:45 pm 8:30 pm 9:15 pm

This table makes it painfully clear why drivers who take I-95 from central Massachusetts always complain about the Washington D.C. traffic. Those who leave home between 8:00 am and noon end up right in the middle of the Washington evening traffic. Its interesting that the best time to leave home (barring accidents or road construction) is between 6:30 and 7:30 am. Any earlier and Southern Connecticut becomes a problem. Any later and the problem is Northern Virginia."

I hope this helps.