I may have to drive myself and doggie back home to RI from Durham NC . We are relocating but now husband may have big work conflict and not be able to fly to Durham for final moving day and drive us back to RI. Just wondering if there is a way to avoid driving through DC and NYC en route to New England. I don't care if it takes me a bit longer... if I have to drive alone I would prefer to avoid the traffic etc of those big metro areas.

We drive from Annapolis MD to Florida and always bypass Washington and Springfield VA. We take Route 301 down across the lower Potomac bridge and into Virginia. We've also found it just as easy to stay on 301 there until you reach 295 going around Richmond. We've also gotten off 301 in Bowling Green and headed over to I-95 but there's still a lot of 18 wheelers in that part of I-95.

If you are coming north you can continue on 301 around Washington DC and it becomes Rt97 into the Baltimore beltway (I695).

There's more stop lights in an area called Waldorf MD but it still beats heading across the Wilson Bridge and the Mixing bowl in Springfield VA. (IMHO anyway)

If you wish to avoid NYC, you could stay on 301 (as earlier suggested) across the Bay, following up to Delaware & US40 to Delaware Memorial Bridge to NJ Turnpike. From NJTP catch I-287 which loops west of metropolitan NY area, to NYS Thruway. Go east at Tappen Zee, or continue up to Newburgh (I-84) and take that east. That sure is a lot of extra driving! I'm from near Albany NY, and take that I-287 western loop whenever I'm "passing by" NYC.

There is construction on the east side of the Tappan Zee so you might want to avoid that bridge.

Rob - it's been my experience that there's Always construction Eastbound after the TZ, at least for the last 5 years that I've been driving it - the 6 or so lanes after the toll choke down to 2, and they've been blasting and paving for a loooooong time.
Collette- if you can hit the DC Beltway in mid-morning (10 AM?) you should be OK, but listen to local AM radio. I second taking 287 across the T-Z bridge, and would suggest you listen to 880 AM for traffic news when you're near north Jersey. Then you can choose the Merritt Parkway and join up with 95 west of New Haven or just stay on 95 from the TZ. Good Luck!

Thanks for those suggestions... will jot the down and also check with AAA 9 although they are sometimes way off on what they suggest). Hopefully hubby will make it in time.