best route/time thru Seattle area heading south? (Tacoma, Bellevue: motorhome, construction)

[yldwood]

I'm planning a trip to Oregon in June. I live in Blaine & can't take off till 2pm that day which would put me downtown Seattle approx 4pm. I'll be driving a motorhome & will do just about anything to avoid rush hour/construction etc. So what's the best route?...1-5 or 405 or ? And approx when does rush hour begin/end if ever? Would it be better to just wait till later in the day to start out? Thanks!

[allforcats]

Hi, yldwood. I cringed when I read your plan!!

Suggestions:
-- NEVER EVER use 405 on weekdays until after 7 PM.
-- BEST CHOICE: If the following day is a Saturday, Sunday or national holiday, leave Blaine the following morning.
-- I-5 will be crowded but moving at a decent speed below the speed limit, until 6:30, coming from north to south.
-- Construction around Everett on I-5 will bring you to a near-halt for up to a half-hour at almost any time of the day including Saturdays.
-- If there is any kind of professional sports game or major concert or festival going on in Seattle that afternoon or evening, you might wish you had stayed in Blaine.
-- After living and driving here for 20+ years, I strongly urge you to leave Blaine at noon, which will put you in Portland at around 6:00, after Portland's rush hour.
-- Failing that, you'd be better off leaving Blaine at 4:30 PM or 4:00 PM, and expect not killing slowdowns on I-5 (except at the construction around Everett), but some slowdowns - unless, as I said, there's a game or concert or festival in Seattle...

Best choice: leave early on a Sat., Sun., or national holiday. Sorry...

P.S. "Rush hour" into and out from Seattle runs from around 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM, and around 2:30 or 3:00 PM to around 6:30 to 7:00 PM (varying a bit by location).

[Ira500]

If you're not traveling alone, be sure to use the carpool lanes.
I'd either leave early or wait a few hours...If you can be around Bellevue 7:30ish you should do okay via 405.. But going at the time you mentioned, both I-5 and 405 would be equally horrible, like choosing between the guillotine or the electric chair.

[allforcats]

Actually I live in Bellevue and often see 405 during 4 PM to 7 PM going both southbound and northbound. It's just plain slow, crowded and often a parking lot in both directions. 405 is a nightmare, except -- at night. :-)

[yldwood]

Thank you for the perfect descriptions of the nightmare it would be to travel at that time. I ALWAYS leave no later than 10am when 'running the gauntlet' of seattle/tacoma, but I'm taking this trip w/a friend who was trying to work a half day. After telling her what you said, she's going to try to take the whole day off so we can leave earlier & be thru Seattle by noon.

Unfortunately we have to be at the show Thurs night so can't wait for weekend to travel. So as long as we come thru around noonish would it be okay to take 405 & would that evade the construction?

Can I use the carpool lane w/a motorhome?

[allforcats]

Hahahaha!! -- "running the gauntlet of Seattle/Tacoma"! Great!!

As long as you go thru around noonish it WILL be okay to take 405. But if you take I-5, noontime won't avoid the Everett construction. On 405, the highway between about downtown Bellevue (NE 8th St exits) and south Renton is kind of crowded all day; the locals insist on driving at top speed and seem to push everyone around, so be prepared to laugh and let them all pass you.

Your motorhome has nothing to do with the carpool lanes -- it's the number of live humans in the car that matters.

Bring a great centered calmness and lots of relaxed happiness. And just smile a lot, which will tell your brain that you're happy, and so you will in fact feel relaxed.

[yldwood]

Okay sounds good...we'll go 405 around noon. If things get tense we'll just remember that allforcats said...RELAAXXXXX!!!! The smiles should be easy because we're really looking forward to our all girl vacation! Thanks much for all the advice, you've been a BIG help!