495 in DC area

I always run the west side & prefer to run 50 & 301, 95 for me is best driven at night. 301 through Maryland is way more peaceful especially during the day and getting across the bridge isn’t that difficult.

 

DC is a snake waiting to bite you at any moment. It doesn’t matter if it’s Saturday at 3 AM or rush-hour on a Friday evening it can sneak up on you just the same. For that reason, I always take 301. It’s a lot slower, but it’s guaranteed.

 

Defnitely a snake waiting to bite but I still trust it more than the 285 around ATL. I've never seen another place where there will be 2 wrecks in 1 mile blocking 4 lanes at 0300 on a Monday morning. Those folks have skills.

 

Better yet just run i81 avoid the cluster cuck that is Washington DC.......

 

I run anywhere from Richmond and Va beach. To as far north as you can go and still be in the US.
I dont care what gps, cust instructions ot anything else says. I take the east side going north and south. The west side "might" be a few miles shorter. But my experience at all times of the day and night. Is its LOOONGER. Twists, turns, up hill, twice as much traffic.
Sometimes i take 301 just for a change.

 

I choose the DC route that has the least red in Google maps with the traffic turned on. Or just avoid the area altogether.

 

I don’t know if it matters but now that they are building a new bridge to replace the old one on 301 apparently the toll was raised. I don’t run 301 thru Upper Marlboro because at one time that’s where all the new DOT bears were trained so I definitely avoid that. 5 to 301 isn’t to bad except for like was said above all the red lights will drive you nuts! Since the construction on 95 keeps moving south, except for the bottle neck at the Occoquan, that way has gotten easier in my opinion. Anyone that ran that way before the W.W. Bridge improvement and the Springfield mixing bowl improvements will tell you it’s a walk in the park compared to what it used to be. As long as it isn’t rush 3 hours I just stay on 95.