I-95 to VA

[gorevs9]

OK gang,

I'm driving down to Williamsburg next Saturday and will probably be in the DC area mid to late morning.
Any input as to where the potential problems might be (construction, lane closures, etc)

Last time I took the trip, I got through DC with no problem, but then hit traffic north of Richmond, where the "Local" lanes of I-95 merged back into the "Express lanes".

Thanks in advance for all your help

 

[Jeni]

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge (DC/Alexandia area) has had lane closures, but I think that is just Monday-Thursday, not weekends. The lane merger you mentioned does tend to bottleneck, and honestly, 95 on a weekend is a crap shoot- sometimes it's smooth sailing and other times it's sitting in traffic due to an accident. Same is true for 64, althought Richmond down to Williamsburg tends to flow just fine, it's Williamsburg and east that backs up the most. Have a safe trip and a great time in the 'burg!

Jeni

ps- we use this site when traveling 95: http://www.i95exitguide.com/alert/index.php

 

[Robnsunny]

There is always weekend construction and lane closures. 103.5 is an all news station that gives traffic reports every 10 minutes on the 8s. You may not be able to get around the jam, but at least you have an idea of how extensive it is.

 

[Dave M]

This is the I-95 construction update site I use when driving on I-95.

 

[Werner]

The New Jersey Turnpike going south is always a mess. I 95 becomes a parking lot whenever a truck breaks down, even on the shoulder, or whenever there is a minor fender-bender.

Have you thought about taking I-90 to Binghamton, NY and then I-81/83 south to DC? Mapping programs will tell you it takes longer but all it takes is one relative minor jam in NY or NJ to wipe out the advantage of I-90.

We are survivors of our stupid decision to drive I-95 to Florida on the day after Christmas. It was sheer torture; long delays in every state along the way, even in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida itself, none related to local commuter traffic, it was all snowbirds. I am now an advocate of the western route, I 81, going south. Coming back north it seems that jams in I 95 are more related to local workday traffic and so are more predictable.

 

[AwayWeGo]

I-295 Bypasses Richmond On The Way To Williamsburg.

OK gang,

I'm driving down to Williamsburg next Saturday and will probably be in the DC area mid to late morning.
Any input as to where the potential problems might be (construction, lane closures, etc)

Last time I took the trip, I got through DC with no problem, but then hit traffic north of Richmond, where the "Local" lanes of I-95 merged back into the "Express lanes".

Thanks in advance for all your help

Those big overhead green traffic signs on I-95 north & south of Richmond try to steer all the through traffic around the city via I-295.

I suspect traffic might normally be less congested on I-295 than on I-95, but the actual distance around Richmond is longer via I-295 than straight through via I-95, so on our way to & from Florida we usually stick with I-95 straight through.

For Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Virginia Beach, etc., via lnterstate, we take I-295 over to the I-64 east interchange.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Skinsfan1311]

Those big overhead green traffic signs on I-95 north & south of Richmond try to steer all the through traffic around the city via I-295.

I suspect traffic might normally be less congested on I-295 than on I-95, but the actual distance around Richmond is longer via I-295 than straight through via I-95, so on our way to & from Florida we usually stick with I-95 straight through.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Actually, though 295 is longer in mileage, it's still shaves time due to less traffic.

We put that theory to the test, a couple of times, during our annual sojourn from Baltimore to Myrtle Beach, via 95.

 

[luv2vacation]

We are survivors of our stupid decision to drive I-95 to Florida on the day after Christmas. It was sheer torture; long delays in every state along the way, even in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida itself, none related to local commuter traffic, it was all snowbirds.

We once made the same stupid decision - only to HHI instead of to Florida - the traffic on I-95 the day after Christmas is THE WORST. So instead of the day after Xmas, the last two years we actually went on Xmas Day. What a difference, virtually no traffic anywhere on 95. The biggest challenge then becomes where to eat dinner since most everything is closed (including our favorite travel dinner option, Cracker Barrel). One year, we ended up at Denny's - I felt like I was in a bad movie.

 

[luv2vacation]

I suspect traffic might normally be less congested on I-295 than on I-95, but the actual distance around Richmond is longer via I-295 than straight through via I-95, so on our way to & from Florida we usually stick with I-95 straight through.

We do the same - have never taken 295 around Richmond, always go 95 straight through. Have done OK so far....knock on wood...

 

[luv2vacation]

Last time I took the trip, I got through DC with no problem, but then hit traffic north of Richmond, where the "Local" lanes of I-95 merged back into the "Express lanes".

In all the times we've driven South, which is sometimes 3-4 times per year for the last 10 years, we have ALWAYS hit traffic here. Even our Christmas Day trips had some slow-down at this point, although not nearly as bad as the crawl that we have seen at other times of the year. I think it is just not built to handle all of the roads that merge together - both sides of the 495 loop, 395 coming through the city, 295 that has just merged onto 495, etc. - just way too big of a bottleneck.

 

[sandkastle4966]

495/95 south to richmond...

Unfortunately is is now officially "summer" and every saturday and sunday there WILL be traffic from 495/95 intersection (not so affectionately called malfunction junction) all the way to least Quantico or Fredericksburg and possibly to Richmond. the only way to avoid it is go thru this area EARLY -before 9 am.

An alternative is to go 495 outloop (western loop) to I-66 West, and cut south to I-95 thru Gainesville area and pick up I-66 near Fredericksburg. Longer, but may be saner. ALWAYS take 295 around Richmond.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Whoa! I-66 Doesn't Go To (Or Near) Fredericksburg

An alternative is to go 495 outloop (western loop) to I-66 West, and cut south to I-95 thru Gainesville area and pick up I-66 near Fredericksburg.

You mean take I-66 from the Beltway to the Gainesville exit at Rt. 29, then take some other route from Rt. 29 down to Fredericksburg, right? Say, Rt. 17 From Warrenton to Fredericksburg ?

What's obviously needed -- & I don't expect to see it in my lifetime -- are eastern & western Interstate bypasses around the Washington DC megaplex. The Capital Beltway -- I-495 -- now carries so much local traffic 24-7-365 that it's no use as a bypass. I doubt an Outer Beltway, if such were ever built, would do much good for very long.

Northbound through traffic from Richmond & south should not have to get all tangled up with the DC-area traffic nightmare.

Cars & trucks headed to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, & New England should be able to peel off somewhere between Richmond & Fredericksburg, heading northeast on a new Interstate route over to Dahlgren VA approximating the path of Rt. 301 up through southern Maryland to the vicinity of I-97 up toward Baltimore, thereby finessing the DC area. Billions & zillions will be required to acquire right-of-way & upgrade portions of Rt. 301 (including the Potomac River bridge at Dahlgren) to Interstate Highway standards.

Cars & trucks going to Pittsburgh & into Ohio & Indiana & on into Illinois & points west likewise ought not to have to waste time & fuel doing the Capital Beltway crawl, not to mention heavying up traffic conditions for us locals. Through traffic heading that way should be able to peel off about the same place below Fredericksburg going northwesterly via a new Interstate highway (& Interstate-quality upgrades to existing roads), in the direction of Gainesville & Leesburg, crossing the Potomac at Point-Of-Rocks MD & linking up with I-70 in the vicinity of Frederick MD or a bit north of that. Obviously it will take billions & zillions more for that.

Don't hold your breath waiting for either of those much-needed bypasses.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Nancy]

295

We never take I-295 around Richmond, unless going to Williamsburg, etc. and never had a problem going through Richmond.

Nancy