Avoiding Washington and Baltimore on I 95
I will be heading south to Darlington Raceway in April and will hit the Baltimore area around 5:30 PM and then Washington DC around 6:30 PM this will be on a Thursday night. Other members here have...
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Baltimore is not going to be your issue. Delaware is much worse and you will deal with that regardless of which route you take. Having traveled all routes involved numerous times in different conditions, the 301 route is a******shoot at best. Years ago 301 through southern Maryland was a good way to travel but 3 towns have been heavily developed over the years and have traffic signals every 1/2 mile. There is nothing good about 301 anymore!
The real problem on the I-95 route is south of DC in VA. Yes you can use the HOV lanes, but as you approach Quantico those lanes have to merge back into the regular lanes on 95 which will be at a virtual standstill. Thursday isn't the worst night to travel through there, but traffic will still be very heavy. I still chose the 95 route when I go to Richmond because 9 out of 10 times I can do a lot better on 95 than I can with all the traffic lights on 301 and the speed traps with low speed limits on 301 in VA. Your best bet would be to postpone your trip an hour or two if possible. If you don't hit VA prior to 7 pm, your chances of smooth sailing are much better.
The real problem on the I-95 route is south of DC in VA. Yes you can use the HOV lanes, but as you approach Quantico those lanes have to merge back into the regular lanes on 95 which will be at a virtual standstill. Thursday isn't the worst night to travel through there, but traffic will still be very heavy. I still chose the 95 route when I go to Richmond because 9 out of 10 times I can do a lot better on 95 than I can with all the traffic lights on 301 and the speed traps with low speed limits on 301 in VA. Your best bet would be to postpone your trip an hour or two if possible. If you don't hit VA prior to 7 pm, your chances of smooth sailing are much better.
