How bad will traffic be coming from Bergen Co, NJ to DC on Friday??
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Anonymous
| My parents/sister went to Bergen County, NJ to visit relatives and will be making their way back to DC to visit us on Friday. They probably won't be able to leave until at least 12 or 1pm. Is it hopeless? Will the traffic be so bad that we can count on missing Christmas together? |
Anonymous
| It once took me 8 hrs to do that drive right before NYE. |
Anonymous
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I would anticipate a four-hour standstill on 95 in Delaware
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Anonymous
| OP here. Yikes. I know there's a mass migration from DC north, but didn't know if the same traffic nightmares would also be in play for people coming to DC. |
Anonymous
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Have them take the alternate route through penn.
There will still be traffic, but much much less. |
Anonymous
| Envision the zombie apocalypse. Then, add an exponent of 4. |
Anonymous
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Tell them to take 78 to 81 to 83 through Harrisburg to 15 to 270.....
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Anonymous
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Have them monitor traffic via smartphone if possible (or do it for them as they drive). We make the drive from here up to there often and it's very unpredictable. We've tried all kinds of routes. Ultimately it's not worth major detours (such as via Pennsylvania) but there are plenty of alternative routes close off 95, including in DE and MD. The NJ Turnpike (or the Garden State Parkway for that matter) can be a problem because exits can be very far from each other and you can fly past an exit with no problem and then be stuck in parking lot traffic with no where to go for hours. We monitor our phones constantly (not the driver) when we're driving on there to anticipate detours.
It might be fine--sometimes I've made it in record time on holidays. Other times, nightmare. |
Anonymous
Not a bad suggestion. Maybe 45 minutes out of the way, but you probably will make up for that in traffic/stress. |
Anonymous
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I do this drive regularly (but we're here and usually come south on Sundays). Anyway, it is awful on a regular basis. It will be more awful on Friday.
Do they have EZPass? If not, just take the Pennsylvania route others mentioned. If they want to take the parkway/turnpike, they need to leave as early as they possibly can. Monitoring traffic is key, especially at the merge on the Turnpike and down low (exits 3 and below). Take 295 if it is bad. DE has gotten a touch better with their hi speed ez passes, but it will still be bad and can be avoided if you're mapping it out. Watch the Christiana Hosp exit, too, and the mall. Shift change for the hosp is 3:30 pm... Don't plan dinner around them on Friday. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thanks, all.
No one has a smartphone (including DH and me), so monitoring traffic will be pretty difficult, unless I'm chained to my house at the computer. I wonder if they should leave on Sat instead... |
Anonymous
| We do this drive many times a year. Do not leave Friday afternoon! The best time to leave will be around 6 am on Saturday morning. Waking up early sucks but it will be a much smoother ride. Thanksgiving week we traveled from NY to DC and left at 5:45 in the morning and it was such a stress free drive. |