Commute advice (Vienna: neighborhoods, construction, school)

[moving00]

Coming from the Vienna Metro, what is the best way to drive to Balls Hill Road, exit 44 off the Beltway? Should I hop on 495 off of 50? Some people suggested 66 to 495 but I am terrified of 66 during rush hour. I have to be at work no later than 7:45 AM. Thanks in advance.

[JD984]

You could take Nutley Street north to Route 123 (Maple Avenue), make the right turn on Route 123, make a left turn on Lewinsville, and the right turn on Balls Hill. You'd have to deal with the AM traffic in Vienna but would avoid both the Route 66 and the Beltway traffic.

[moving00]

Thanks- how horrible is Vienna traffic? Is it marginally better than the beltway or significantly better?

[khuntrevor]

Originally Posted by moving00

Thanks- how horrible is Vienna traffic? Is it marginally better than the beltway or significantly better?

[saganista]

Well, it's August but still, the traffic on 123-N in the morning is typically just awful. Best not to go there as a general rule. But nearly all of the backup is from the light at Old Courthouse/Gosnell, and you can sneak past that via some back roads...

Nutley Street north toward Vienna.
Right on either Kingsley or Tapawingo.
Left on Park Street.
Right on Locust Street (first one after you cross the bike path).
Right on Branch Road.
Left on Echols Street.
Left on Niblick Drive.
Immediate right onto the other Echols Street.
Right on Wolftrap Road.
Left on Woodford Road.
Left at the light onto Old Courthouse.
Right at the light onto 123-N (there is a turn lane...you don't have to go through the light).

With all that traffic backed up at the light, even with all the construction, you should be able to breeze through Tysons proper on 123-N (watch out for wierd lane changes and merges though) and then take the left turn onto Lewinsville Road at the top of the hill just after 267 and the Metro piers have veered off to the right. Balls Hill Road is the first right off of Lewinsville. You'd have a good ways to go on that to get out to the 193 area still.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by saganista

Well, it's August but still, the traffic on 123-N in the morning is typically just awful. Best not to go there as a general rule. But nearly all of the backup is from the light at Old Courthouse/Gosnell, and you can sneak past that via some back roads...

Nutley Street north toward Vienna.
Right on either Kingsley or Tapawingo.
Left on Park Street.
Right on Locust Street (first one after you cross the bike path).
Right on Branch Road.
Left on Echols Street.
Left on Niblick Drive.
Immediate right onto the other Echols Street.
Right on Wolftrap Road.
Left on Woodford Road.
Left at the light onto Old Courthouse.
Right at the light onto 123-N (there is a turn lane...you don't have to go through the light).

With all that traffic backed up at the light, even with all the construction, you should be able to breeze through Tysons proper on 123-N (watch out for wierd lane changes and merges though) and then take the left turn onto Lewinsville Road at the top of the hill just after 267 and the Metro piers have veered off to the right. Balls Hill Road is the first right off of Lewinsville. You'd have a good ways to go on that to get out to the 193 area still.

I rarely traveled on that stretch of Maple in the AM when I lived in Vienna so I'm certainly not sure how bad it gets now. But if the OP has to be at work by 7:45 AM, Route 123 shouldn't be quite as bad as it is later in the morning, so she might want to at least give it a try. One downside of a bob-and-weave through residential neighborhoods, apart from the sheer number of turns, is that she might end up behind some slow-moving or stopping school buses.