Warning for those using I95 South next weekend thru MD/DC/VA

[Renysmom]

I have posted this on the general board as well as here as it is important

WARNING......

For those traveling South on 95 through MD, Washington DC and VA next weekend. This was just announced on all the local news channels:

2nd Half of Most Severe Lane Closures of Wilson Bridge Project Just Ahead:
I-95 South (Beltway Inner Loop) travelers should expect very heavy traffic during the weekend of August 12-15th at the Wilson Bridge Project. Four lanes of I-95 South will constrict to only one lane - a condition that will be in effect for as long as 57 hours. Expect 10-15 mile backups and 60-90 minute delays.
Click here for more details.

The website to check prior to setting off on your trip is www.wilsonbridge.com

While they did this a few weeks ago for the North Bound and the back-ups were not as bad, they are saying this project will take the entire weekend and 10-20 mile backups are a guarantee.

Plan accordingly.



Kelly

 

[TimF]

Thanks for the info, we will be traveling down on the 12th from the Philly area and we decided a couple months ago to take the I-81, I-77, I-26 route and this information only proves more so what a good choice that is.

 

[Alexander]

Phew! I'm glad we decided to fly! We'd be traveling that stretch of 95 on the 14th or 15th coming home! Thanks for the update!

 

[Uncleromulus]

Bumping this up. IT is IMPORTANT information!!!

 

[laurabelle]

That's gonna be ugly!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Helping to keep this bumped up. I might end up sticking this to the top, although stuck threads sometimes get overlooked.

They recommended the same detour along US 301 when they did the work on the northbound lanes a few weeks ago. The Richmond paper sent a couple of reporters to drive both routes to time them. Apparently authorities were so successful in warning drivers to take the US 301 detour that the I-95 route was quicker by about 45-50 minutes.

I would still recommend the detour, though. Lighter traffic is going to make working conditions for the highway crews that much safer.

 

[agnes!]

There were a couple of threads last month @ the closures/construction delays on I-95/Wilson Bridge, below are some I-95 links that were posted in that and other I-95 threads. (Many thanks to whomever posted them originally !) Check these links before you leave. Also, if you do decide to travel through the DC area, keep your car radio tuned to AM630 or AM1500, both stations have frequent traffic reports.

*** - Be aware that the DC/I-95/Capital Beltway area has more than one construction project going on now, not JUST the Wilson Bridge Project. (I think the Wilson Brisge has the only drawbridge on the Interstate Highway System?) The infamous "Springfield Mixing Bowl"(where I-95/395/494 intersects south of DC) is *also* undergoing a massive re-alignment that won't be finished for a few more years. While the (finished?)re-alignment on the Southbound/Inner Loop has improved traffic flow immensely, there are still occasional lane closures (mostly on the Northbound/Outer Loop), with the always fun massive detours . Some of these closures get a lot of publicity, some do *NOT*.

http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm

http://www.i95de.com

http://www.i95coalition.org/travinfo_laneclose.html

http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-095.html

http://i95getaways.com

Happy motoring,
agnes!

 

[agnes!]

DOUBLE WARNING

I live south of DC, in northern Virginia (near Mount Vernon). I had to go to Richmond yesterday. It took me over THREE HOURS to get there(starting at around 1:30) and normally this is about 90 minutes from my house. I have a friend(lives in DC) who also went to Richmond for the same event and it took her over THREE HOURS as well and she started out at 11am!!! It wasn't just Southbound either...she said that it took her THREE HOURS to get back!

Anyone who is planning on driving through the DC area on a Saturday late morning/afternoon should absolutely reconsider. Give me regular Rush Hour anyday...at least that usually eases up after a while. I have NEVER seen traffic this bad, both Northbound and Southbound. (And there weren't even any I-95 shutdowns because of road construction or acid spills or traffic accidents...traffic was just heavy, as bad as any rush hour I've ever seen.)

*Woodrow Wilson Bridge was backed-up both ways (but into Maryland it was several miles on the Inner Loop/Southbound because there was an unannounced single lane closure). The Beltway was down to two lanes there instead of three.
*Southbound traffic was stop and start for at least 60 miles, from The Capital Beltway almost to Richmond. There were a few spots where we almost made it up to the speed limit.
Even Route 1 was stop/go in many places Southbound...ugly.

If you MUST come through the DC area, on I-95 on a weekend, make it early morning (if it has to be Saturday) or take the 301/1 "Eastern Detour" or go through on one of the "Western Detours" (maybe I-81/I-77/I-26 or take I-81 south and then come East on I-64 through Charlottesville/etc or whatever...)

Bottom line...
Avoid I-95/DC/Capital Beltway on a Saturday late morning/afternoon...from DC to Fredericksburg (and sometimes beyond) is baaaaaaaaaaaad.

*And* avoid the DC area like the plague next weekend(August 12/13/14) as the OP said.

agnes!
PS - But I won't be here, I'll be at DISNEYWORLD !

 

[Uncleromulus]

This is almost like the "Neverending Story". I shudder to think what it must be like to live near all this. Just driving thru is a nightmare--but dealing with it everyday?????

 

[DizneeCM]

Will they be working on the construction on Aug. 19th (a Friday) or August 27th (Sat.) and 28th? Local folks, what's the best alternative route?

 

[Skatermom23]

This is almost like the "Neverending Story". I shudder to think what it must be like to live near all this. Just driving thru is a nightmare--but dealing with it everyday?????

It isn't much fun I always tell everyone that they will never see us on a holiday weekend. I refuse to get on 95 in either direction over a long weekend!

 

[Renysmom]

This is almost like the "Neverending Story". I shudder to think what it must be like to live near all this. Just driving thru is a nightmare--but dealing with it everyday?????

Welcome to my world!!! but only for a few more months, three weeks after we get back from Disney we are moving to a great area outside of Richmond where this type of traffic doesn't exist..I can't wait, no more 1 1/2 hour commutes to go 23 miles..

Still it is sad that this is where I have lived for 39 years (almost my whole life) and the traffic and housing prices are so out of control we are leaving. DH and I are tired of townhouse living, we want a yard and a garage and such and we didnt want to be working until we are 100 to pay for a house in NVA so we are heading a bit south and getting a new house (under constrution now) with tons of upgrades for $145K LESS then we sold our 7 year old townhouse for.

 

[Renysmom]

Will they be working on the construction on Aug. 19th (a Friday) or August 27th (Sat.) and 28th? Local folks, what's the best alternative route?

Construction is 24/7 until they get this "improvement" done. To find your best alternative routes visit www.wilsonbridge.com or www.vdot.gov

The Wilson Bridge site lists all upcoming major closures and alternative routes. I would check this before you head out for the latest info.

 

[langin]

We are driving from New Brunswick, Canada to WDW (28 hrs) and trying to get there with all this construction, it is a real task just trying to figure out which way to go!!!!

We are (DH is) driving through part of the night (he works night shifts) and we should be by the DC area around 3-4 am, what do you think?

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Langin, a lot of people on here have worked their way over to I-81 to avoid traffic on I-95. Even without construction, I-95 goes through major metro areas of NJ, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and DC within about a 250 mile span. I'm not sure what might be the best way to get to I-81 for you, but if you took I-81 into VA to I-64 eastbound and then took Route 288, that would bring you back to I-95 south of Richmond and north of Petersburg, avoiding the traffic and construction.

Renysmom, what part of Richmond are you moving to? We're in Chesterfield County.

 

[Skatermom23]

Welcome to my world!!! but only for a few more months, three weeks after we get back from Disney we are moving to a great area outside of Richmond where this type of traffic doesn't exist..I can't wait, no more 1 1/2 hour commutes to go 23 miles..

Still it is sad that this is where I have lived for 39 years (almost my whole life) and the traffic and housing prices are so out of control we are leaving. DH and I are tired of townhouse living, we want a yard and a garage and such and we didnt want to be working until we are 100 to pay for a house in NVA so we are heading a bit south and getting a new house (under constrution now) with tons of upgrades for $145K LESS then we sold our 7 year old townhouse for.

That's wonderful you found something further south. We bought around here 3 years ago, before things got too out of control. At the time I thought this was as far south as I'd ever go. DH still has to deal with all the traffic but you got to go where the job is, right?

 

[langin]

My Dh has been to Virginia beach (yrs ago) and would like to stop again for a night. I looked at the map and this would detour us around some of the traffic/construction. What do you think?

 

[Credit Man]

Does anyone have any ideas about how I would get to the Autotrain in Lorton on Sat 8/13, in light of this construction? Comming south from NJ.

 

[NUHuskies#1]

omg! I thought the BIG DIG here in Boston was bad, this sounds atrocious! We are leaving on Wednesday 8/17 and returning 8/26-8/27. Hopefully the after affects won't be too bad!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

My Dh has been to Virginia beach (yrs ago) and would like to stop again for a night. I looked at the map and this would detour us around some of the traffic/construction. What do you think?

That's a possibility. You can drive through Delaware and MD to get to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which brings you right to VA Beach. Then take US 58 through Suffolk over to I-95.

US 58 is two lanes in both directions from the VA Beach area to I-95. I'm not sure what the highways are like through that part of DE, MD, and VA to the CBBT, but I'm sure someone on here can help.