Route 301 During Rush Hour Question

[Phyxius]

Originally Posted by Cruzincat

Getting to 895 is the problem. Maybe you don't have a smart phone but you can check Google Maps from your home computer to see how the traffic is about the time you would be passing through. The area where southbound 95 approaches 695 (Whitemarsh) can get jammed up pretty bad.

If you take DE 896 from the Newark area south and just keep going straight, it will put you on US 301 toward the Bay Bridge. That will avoid the DE toll booths(last exit before toll) and the Bay Bridge is only in the EB direction. Once you take the 301 Delmarva route, you will probably decide to use it at times when it might even be more out of your way. The difference in traffic is that great! Once in Maryland, there will be no traffic lights until you exit US50 and continue on 301 south, in the Bowie area. Watch your speed, especially between the rest area and Rt 213 in MD, There is a State Police barracks at Rt 304. You should be OK at 62mph unless youy try to pass a trooper.

Add Charles(MD) King George and Caroline County in Virginia as places to watch your speed.

[kathymcmillan]

trust me you dont want to leave at that time . you may as well get some sleep and leave at 1. am you will make about the same time only with alot less frustration.I drive down to sc frequently from maryland and there is no way around rush hour meaning 330-700 good luck

[TrinaLC]

What about taking MD Route 2 to avoid the part of 301 just south of 50 (bowie)? We drove the 301 route to Richmond this weekend for the first time and that first stretch as a PITA. Looking at a map, might we have been better off hoping on 2 and then meandering over to 301?

In other words, how is MD 2 just south of 50/301 immediately after crossing the bridge?

[Cruzincat]

Originally Posted by TrinaLC

What about taking MD Route 2 to avoid the part of 301 just south of 50 (bowie)? We drove the 301 route to Richmond this weekend for the first time and that first stretch as a PITA. Looking at a map, might we have been better off hoping on 2 and then meandering over to 301?

In other words, how is MD 2 just south of 50/301 immediately after crossing the bridge?

That would be a long way out of the way on two lane(one each way) roads, down to Southern Maryland. It would leave you a pretty good distance from the Nice Bridge(US301) over the Potomac. Once Rt2 merges with Rt 4, its 4 lane but slow through Prince Frederick. Once you cross the Patuxent River it is quite a distance still to US301.
As far as time goes, taking 301 from Bowie would be faster, than MD2. Taking 50 all the way to 95 after crossing the Chesapeake is the fastest way, but only when there is no heavy traffic congestion on 95 from before the Wilson Bridge(95 over the Potomac) to Bowling Green, VA, where the 301 route gets you close to 95 again. The stretch between Springfield, VA to Fredericksburg, VA in the afternoon rush hour can be real bad. There are three sets of lanes there. The middle lanes switch between NB and SB depending on the time of day. If you catch it when theY have just switched to SB, before the traffic gets real heavy, you can make good time. Probably just after noon.