395 Woes (construction, price, best)

[ERH]

I was excited to hit the Echostage reopening Friday night, but the drive up from Raleigh was excruciating once we hit Fredericksburg. Is traffic always bumper to bumper in that stretch of 395? Would 495 East have been a better option?

This was a short-notice trip, so flying was a little pricey, but I may have to do that next time. Gettin' old sucks. By the time I spent 6 hours in the car, I wasn't in shape to enjoy my prime front-row spot, but ZEDD was worth the wait.

[Charlotte485]

Originally Posted by ERH

I was excited to hit the Echostage reopening Friday night, but the drive up from Raleigh was excruciating once we hit Fredericksburg. Is traffic always bumper to bumper in that stretch of 395? Would 495 East have been a better option?

This was a short-notice trip, so flying was a little pricey, but I may have to do that next time. Gettin' old sucks. By the time I spent 6 hours in the car, I wasn't in shape to enjoy my prime front-row spot, but ZEDD was worth the wait.

Fredericksburg is always excruciating.

I don’t know about coming from 495 but it seems well out of the way (if 395 was rough, then it’s fairly easy to imagine 295 was also). I would think 395 is the best way to echostage.

Also, yesterday was pride. Traffic in DC was horrible in general.

[slowlane3]

He means that the annual "Gay Pride" parade and festival in D.C. was Saturday.

[NOVAmtneer82]

95 between Richmond and the Beltway is always a mess especially once you get to Fredericksburg. Add in the construction from the Express Lane extension down to Spotsylvania and summer weekend traffic mixing in with heavy local traffic and frequent rear end collisions and you get that disaster. It can often take three hours to drive that 90ish mile corridor. Then 395 from the Beltway to DC line isn't great but usually more free flowing- the pride parade and other festival events and also Nats game contributed to that congestion. Taking 495 East would've caused you to go out of the way and there is frequently slow downs as 95 overlaps with 495 on that stretch.

I totally get it- friends of mine in Raleigh were surprised once when I flew down for a quick weekend trip. It should take about four hours driving but 95 can cause it to be 7 plus so I said forget it and enjoyed the 25 minute flight.

[ERH]

Thanks for the comments -- trust and believe I will fly next time. Should've asked here first so I'd have known what I was getting into!!

I'll stick to my Raleigh rush-hour traffic any day of the week!!