Eileen

We’ll be leaving noontime on Wed to travel from Boston to VA (just west of DC.) Given the history of road travel on this day combined with the greater #'s due to fear of flying, we’re concerned about the traffic on our routes. In the past, we’ve either gone straight down 95 through New York City or over the Tappan Zee Bridge. We know we want to avoid New York City, but we’re wondering if we should go all the way around and go as far as Albany, then down to Scranton via 87 and 84, then 81 to 70?
Looking at the cities and highways in PA makes me think they’ll probably be just as busy as 295 or the NJ Turnpike. We've traveled in this area, but don't know it as well.
Help?

Donna F

I think the Albany route may add an hour and a half to your trip but considering the hours you might spend on Rt 95 going nowhere, it might be worth it. By leaving at noon you might be just ahead of the NYC area traffic. My son traveled this route a couple of times for Thanksgiving (opposite direction)and he worried about getting through Baltimore too. He used a CB to keep up with traffic information and alternate routes. Make sure you have a detailed map that shows secondary roads. Typically, when I see congestion on the highway there's no traffic on the secondary, slower speed limit road. Good luck, I think I'd vote for the Albany route.

rqf

You might want to stay away from the Tappan Zee. There is construction and delays can be extensive as you approach the bridge. Consider taking 84 crossing the Hudson River at Newburgh and then heading south

Neal Sanders

Eileen, your problem isn't routing, but timing. Everyone leaves at noon, and if you head on the Mass Pike, you're likely to encounter a ten-mile-long traffic jam at Sturbridge (it doesn't make any difference if you're getting off or headed futher west; you're in the jam for up to two hours).

I've made the drive many times and found that the only solution is to leave really early (6 a.m.) or late (6 p.m.). That puts you on either end of the traffic bell curve.

Your suggested route has the further downside of turning a 420 miles trip into a 650-700 mile trip, so you tack an extra two hours onto the journey before you turn the key in the ignition.

If I left early or late, I would still avoid the GW or Tappan Zee bridges and go across the Hudson on I-84, tying into the NY Thruway and skirting New York on I-287. You'll still have to deal with toll backups on the NJ Turnpike and bridges, but, with a bit of timing, you can keep those to a minimum.

I hope this helps; have a safe trip.

Eileen

Thanks for your responses. We are all in jobs that require us to work until noon. Grrrrrrr...
My son went to college in Westfield, MA, so I'm familiar with the Sturbridge backup (esp. when we'd go to get him Columbus Day weekend!) I'm thinking about some side roads around that area, but so will everyone else, I suppose.
Neal, what do you think (putting aside the extra miles) about the Route through PA and not trying to get back over to the NJ Turnpike?
Thanks again!

Neal Sanders

Eileen, if leaving at noon is a given, then the trick is to avoid toll plazas -- not because of the tolls but because of the monumental backups they produce.

If you are starting from north of Boston, take I-290 southwest from I-495 toward Worcester, which becomes I-395 south of Worcester. Well into Connecticut, take CT 2 (an expressway) to I-84. I'll continue in a moment.

If you are starting from south of Boston, take I-95 to I-295 to skirt around Providence, get off I-295 at US 6, which is a two lane road through Rhode Island but widens to four lanes in Connecticut. Take that to I-384 east of Hartford, connecting to I-84. Both of these routes avoid the Sturbridge exit on the Mass Pike.

From either route, take I-84 west to the Hudson River crossing at Newburgh, continue west to Scranton and the interchange for I-83 north of Harrisburg.

If your final destination is the Virginia suburbs near the Capital Beltway (I-495), stay with I-83 to the I-695 loop around Baltimore, then I-95 for the final leg to the Capital Beltway (you should hit it around 8 p.m., so the worst of the traffic will be behind you).

If you're headed farther west, say, toward the Leesburg area, take US 15 southwest from Harrisburg. It's an expressway for most if its route, and will take you through Frederick and across the Potomac at Point of Rocks; well west of the worst of the D.C. sprawl.

Going all the way to Albany doesn't make sense, and puts you smack on the middle of the toll morass at Sturbridge, Lee, and Albany; any of which will make you wish you had stayed home!

Ann

Neil's advice for Route 15 is a good one. I think you can also get on 15 directly from 70, but definitely check a map first. Even if you're not going out as far west as Leesburg or even Manassas or Herndon, I would take 15, and get on 66 eastbound. It still may be heavy, but not anywhere near as bad as 66 westbound.

Even if you are hitting the DC area around 8 p.m., there will still be heavy traffic. Most people here aren't as lucky as you to get off at noon, and we're all hitting the roads during the typical rush hour. And it will be a nightmare.

Eileen

I am so grateful, as always, for the help here. I don't have a map handy to refer to the towns you mention, but I can tell you that we're heading to McLean, VA. My relative's directions coming from the north are thus:
"Come South on 495 (the Outer Belt) toward Northern Virginia. As you cross over the bridge from Maryland to Virginia, take the first exit which is for both Exit #43 and #44."
I'll stop there, but does this change your suggestions?
Neal, I can't believe we didn't think of the route you mentioned through CT. Thank you! Thank you!
Since we are coming from North of Boston (Cape Ann), we would go through Worcester -- as you suggested.
Thanks again.

Neal Sanders

Eileen, "McLean" covers a swath of Northern Virginia roughly the size of Canada... well, maybe not quite that large, but a fair proportion of unincorporated Fairfax County uses McLean as its return address. McLean proper lies inside the Beltway, so you'll definitely want to use I-83 down to Baltimore and I-695, and thence to I-95 between B'more and the Beltway (I-495).

Because I-495 is a circumferential (sp?) highway, the traditional "north" and "south" designations don't work. Thus, the Beltway is divided into the "outer loop" and the "inner loop" To complicate matters, I-95 and I-495 run together around Washington, using the eastern half of the Beltway -- the part you don't want -- as the the joint designation.

So, when you see the signs for I-495, follow the signage for Bethesda, which in turn will lead you the 20 or so miles to Northern Virginia.

Eileen

Thanks again. As soon as I get home today, I'll pull the maps out again and look at the routes you've suggested. We're buying our sandwiches for dinner before we leave. I'm thinking we should bring breakfast items in anticipation for the extra time it'll take. Ha.

Ann

I think I'd skip on taking 15, since to get to McLean you'll be going all the way into the Beltway. You might be better off taking your chances on the the Beltway.