Help! Best Way Out of Ft. Belvoir Toward Arlington? (Alexandria: home, living in)

[Carlingtonian]

I just started working at Ft. Belvoir, and I live in N. Arlington. Every day I sit in traffic for 25 minutes exiting via the Tulley Gate and getting onto Fairfax County Parkway before sailing home gloriously on the 395/95 N reverse commute.

Is there a better gate to use? And is there another way to get to 95N besides FCP? (I've thought about taking Poe Road to Stewart to Telegraph to Route 1 S (briefly) to the west extension of Pohick Road to get onto 95N. Or would that be just as clogged?

Or I could go out the Walker Gate to Mt Vernon Pkwy to Route 1 North--but no way would I wanna drive it all the way home, with all those stoplights.

I would ask at work, but I don't think many people live north of the base.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Fern435]

Have you tried the Kingman or Beulah/Telegraph gates? After leaving through the Kingman gate, turn right on Fairfax County Parkway. You can get on I-95 or continue on the Parkway, then pick up I-95 farther north.

Beulah/Telegraph gate will take you to Kingstowne. Head north on Beulah and make a left onto the Franconia-Springfield Parkway/7900 and get on northbound I-95. (I don't have experience with them at commute times--sorry!)

[Carlingtonian]

Thanks for the reply! When you say the Kingman Gate, I'm not familiar with that; is that up by DLA? I'm down on the main campus. I did today go straight out onto Beulah, but it's blocked off just south of DLA, so that you have to take Backlick a short stretch to FCP. Do you mean the Telegraph exit just after that, just north of DLA?

[CaliTerp07]

Yes, Kingman is the one by DLA.

[Fern435]

Yes, the Kingman Gate is just west of DLA and Defense Threat Reduction Agency. It intersects with the Fairfax County Parkway south of Telegraph Road. If Beulah remains blocked off south of DLA, you may need to use Gunston Road to get to Kingman Road. Turn left onto Kingman, and follow it out the Kingman Gate.

The good thing is you can use a few different routes after this, depending on what's happening with traffic. Hope this helps!

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

I just started working at Ft. Belvoir, and I live in N. Arlington. Every day I sit in traffic for 25 minutes exiting via the Tulley Gate and getting onto Fairfax County Parkway before sailing home gloriously on the 395/95 N reverse commute.

Is there a better gate to use? And is there another way to get to 95N besides FCP? (I've thought about taking Poe Road to Stewart to Telegraph to Route 1 S (briefly) to the west extension of Pohick Road to get onto 95N. Or would that be just as clogged?

Or I could go out the Walker Gate to Mt Vernon Pkwy to Route 1 North--but no way would I wanna drive it all the way home, with all those stoplights.

I would ask at work, but I don't think many people live north of the base.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I fully understand the frustration of getting out of Belvoir. When I worked North of Belvoir I took Rt. 1 S to the FFX Pkwy and that took 10 minutes by itself then it'd be a smooth drive back up to West End Alexandria. If you can get to that Kingman gate it will go by a lot of traffic on Rt. 1 and the gates on Rt. 1.

[Carlingtonian]

Thanks, Fern and Alanboy! And CaliTerp. This is great. I will try the Kingman Gate way tomorrow.

[RaisedInVA]

The "Reverse Commute" doesn't really exist around here - and if it does, it won't last long!
I've spent the last few years living in Pentagon City and traveling outwards all directions - I've found that living in Arlington, I'd often hit the traffic headed out of DC that had backed all the way up to my direction. Couldn't seem to win.
I went to Belvoir for a period of time, and I'd have to agree with the Kingman gate. Or just leave at a less-congested time.

[Carlingtonian]

Well, at least right now, my reverse commute is fantastic between Arlington and FCP both ways. If it ever gets bad, I guess I'll have to find another job--hopefully years from now.

I tried the Kingman Gate today; I don't have a decal yet, so I had to cut over on Kingman rather than go straight on Beulah up toward Newington. (I was going to go west on Newington to hit 95 there.)

[bmwguydc]

The GW Parkway can also work from that area of the county, depending upon the part of North Arlington. The slow spots would be in Old Town, though not as slow as southbound, and once you're above 395. It does offer access to Spout Run and Route 50, though would be a few more miles, but at least some of them are pleasant.