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Location: Prince Georges County, MD (formerly Long Island, NY)
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Originally Posted by Qilin34
Except that takes you into Montgomery County which is much denser than Prince George's County. Plus the frequent turns on the Capital Beltway, parts of which don't have a left shoulder (bad news if there's an accident in the left two lanes and unlike almost all of the I-95 overlap) are prone to congestion even during weekends. The I-270/I-495 interchange near Rockville is one of the worst areas for congestion nationwide. Just be sure not to get caught in an opening of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, even though they're much less commonplace than before the project was completed.
I was going to say also that, if you try that at night, keep in mind that they're presently closing the Beltway intermittently through Silver Spring at night for construction by exit 29.
Driving from Long Island,NY to Orlando. I know 95 can be a nightmare and have heard good things about using I81 as an alternative. The big unknown for me is will the extra mileage that using 81 incurs still save me time over using 95 and it's congested areas?
I-81 is an easier drive and you'll save nearly $30 (or close) in tolls that you would have paid driving from NYC to Baltimore on I-95. I-81 is less congested, there are nice rest stops to stretch your legs, and more food options (although the majority are fast food restaurants). It also takes you through Pennsylvania (although you won't be able to see the most beautiful parts of this state), MD, and then you'll see the Appalachians/Blue Ridge Mountains to your east and west for hours as you drive through W. Virginia and Virginia down into TN which makes a long trip more bearable due to the natural scenery. I-95, on the other hand, is an ugly, expensive, boring, and congested drive. I'm not sure how many more miles the trip will be on 81 than 95 but I've driven both interstates and don't remember it being a drastic.
I-78W, I-81 South, I-77 South, 26 East: Best route to Orlando. I-26E connects with I-95 South to Jacksonville. Follow signs for Orlando. This way you bypass the nasty traffic jams on I-95. Some traffic jams last for more than an hour thus making the trip longer. You also burn a lot of gas in bumper to bumper traffic. Although I-95 seems to be the shortest route by about 15 minutes it's not worth taking it. I hit three traffic jams about more than an hour each. It puts a lot of stress on you and adds more hours to your trip. The route is not as boring as I-95. It's very picturesque and relaxing. You need a reliable car. There are some grades along the way but not too many. Not recommended during stormy winter weather. Visibility might be poor due to dense fog.
A lot of us Upstate NYers going to east coast Florida take I81 to I66 east, exit onto US17 southbound, and get on I95 just north of Fredericksburg. This jog keeps you out of Metro Washington traffic.
I prefer I81 over I95 with one exception.
The winter can bring some heavy snows in the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains thru Virginia.
I would opt for I95 in the Winter.
Be warned that I-81 (by careful count) has TWICE the ratio of tractor-trailers, as other Interstate highways do.
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