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Old 03-21-2013, 05:34 PM
 
12,905 posts, read 15,660,053 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dkf747 View Post
The one time I tried 301 instead of 95, it was just as bad as 95. I would just stick with 95, but that's just me.

I would bag the whole Friday afternoon departure and leave super-early Saturday morning. You'd be surprised to learn how many travelers cannot get going in the morning.
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Old 03-22-2013, 06:18 AM
 
97 posts, read 263,819 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristineVA View Post
I would bag the whole Friday afternoon departure and leave super-early Saturday morning. You'd be surprised to learn how many travelers cannot get going in the morning.
Which of course statistically includes most of the people who post these threads . The response to this suggestion is usually something like "whoooa there, let's not get too hasty! I just want the secret route for Friday after work!"
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Old 03-22-2013, 07:33 AM
 
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If you leave by say 1 pm you will be OK, but earlier is always better. The worst traffic occurs when all the people leaving working early at 2-3 pm get into the mix.
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Old 03-22-2013, 07:38 AM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
251 posts, read 934,019 times
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Thanks for advice. We're unfortunately leaving dependent on factors such as school and when hubby gets off work-he's off next week so taking today too is not an option. We have a flight out of NC on Sat so we have to leave today. Guess we'll just suck it up!
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Old 03-22-2013, 08:29 AM
 
74 posts, read 187,880 times
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If you aren't desperate to get down there...and if you decide on 95 waiting until 5-6 and leaving might be better than leaving at 2-3. I kinda found traffic was heaviest around 3:00 on Fridays. Let us know how your fare.
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Old 03-22-2013, 09:40 AM
 
518 posts, read 925,226 times
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Since you mentioned school and husband's work leave between 3:30 and 5:30, I definitely recommend using the HOV lanes on 95S. You cut out the majority of the Mixing Bowl/PW county traffic.
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Old 03-22-2013, 01:58 PM
 
Location: Alexandria, VA
214 posts, read 499,715 times
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I headed out on 95 south earlier today and encountered delays due to a work zone set up before Stafford that had the left lane closed. Luckily, I think it had just been set up, so the delays weren't too terrible when I passed through around 10am, but I can imagine they only got worse throughout the day. So, it looks like even leaving early isn't such a safe bet with the HOV construction going on.
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Old 03-22-2013, 05:52 PM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,432 posts, read 25,814,526 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roninsedge View Post
Since you mentioned school and husband's work leave between 3:30 and 5:30, I definitely recommend using the HOV lanes on 95S. You cut out the majority of the Mixing Bowl/PW county traffic.
How do you get in those lanes from the Beltway? Is there an exit for those lanes there now?
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Old 03-23-2013, 05:58 AM
 
12,905 posts, read 15,660,053 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dkf747 View Post
How do you get in those lanes from the Beltway? Is there an exit for those lanes there now?

If you are on the beltway from the Tyson's area, there actually is a new exit off to the left side of the beltway that will put you directly into the HOV lanes right at the mixing bowl. Coming from any other direction, I think you have to travel into I95 in Springfield and enter down there.

The HOV lanes are pretty awful when you get down to 234 and have to merge in, so they are not always a good thing to do on a "travel" weekend. You can just get stuck in there.

Not sure how the OP did. My daughter came home yesterday from West Virginia. She got into the Springfield area around 4PM and just bailed at Backlick Road, meandered over to 123, and came through Woodbridge to get home. It was pretty bad she said. Her 3.5 hour trip took 5 hours and most of her traffic started at Springfield.
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Old 03-23-2013, 06:50 AM
 
74 posts, read 187,880 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristineVA View Post
The HOV lanes are pretty awful when you get down to 234 and have to merge in, so they are not always a good thing to do on a "travel" weekend. You can just get stuck in there.
Agreed. When I was making the trip regularly, I would take the exit before 234 and get all the way to the right. It still was a mess but I seemed to slip through a little easier.
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