Fredericksburg questions from Springfield resident |
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USA
New Slug Joined: 06 Jun 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 08 Oct 2002 at 10:19am |
Got a question for those who slug to/from Fredericksburg, specifically on Fridays. I live near Springfield and normally don't go down further on weekdays, but I also frequently travel to Charlottesville during football season via the I-95/Route 3/Route 20 way (as opposed to I-66 to US-29, which is out of the way) and I'm wondering if anyone can fill me in on the following:
(1) Assume that I pick up one slug for somewhere down near Fredericksburg (as I already have one rider). How long should I expect it to take from the end of the HOV lanes to Fredericksburg? How is the traffic past the end of the HOV lanes? I'm trying to assess whether it makes more sense just to go out the HOV-2 lane on I-66 to Manassas (recognizing that there are scads of violators there so the HOV lane isn't always fast). (2) If I do go to Fredericksburg, is the Route 17 line or the Route 3 line a more practical destination, recognizing that in any case I am taking Route 3 west to Route 20 at Wilderness? I know where the Route 3 lot is because I pass it on the way to and from Charlottesville all the time, but I don't have a sense of how long it takes to go from I-95 to Route 17, and then back onto I-95 and down to Route 3 west. It sounds from these boards as though it's easier to get a rider to Route 17, and I also want to avoid the infamous "B.O. Lady" at Route 3. Can anyone shed any light on the situation? Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide. |
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swichowski
New Slug Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Location: va Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I leave from DC and slug to Horner Road in Woodbridge then take the regular lanes home. I leave DC about 4:15 and get home On Rt17 about 5:30 on a Friday. It is a little better now that the summer is over! Hope this helped
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kortegel
New Slug Joined: 26 Apr 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I'll be daring and estimate that the average time it takes to get from the end of the HOV to Fredericksburg on a Friday is 35-60 minutes. It sounds harsh perhaps but that's because anytime a car stops on the side of the road for whatever reason, people feel the need to come to an abrupt stop, stare/gawk, and slowly roll on -- especially on Friday it seems.
For your purposes, I would actually say that Rt. 3 would be a better choice. Even though it's closer to I-95, Route 17 can prove troublesome for you after you've dropped off your slugs and head back to the highway...it's pretty packed in both directions. However, as Swichowski said above, now that summer's over it's a little easier, but I'm not sure how much easier. Hope this helps. K.O. |
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waterelf
New Slug Joined: 05 Dec 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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If you were to pick up a slug for Route 17, there's no need to go back to Route 3. My daughter is in college at Radford and I live on Route 17. When we visit her, we go down 17 to 28/29 and take 29 all the way down.
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USA
New Slug Joined: 06 Jun 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I'm familiar with that alternative but it seems kind of out of the way as it puts you onto US-29 just over 58 miles north of Charlottesville after you take US-17 back northwest for some distance. The other reason for preferring Route 3 and Route 20 is that it avoids all the cops in Madison and Greene Counties But thanks all the same, I appreciate any and all responses.
quote: Edited by - USA on 08 Oct 2002 14:43:42 |
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USA
New Slug Joined: 06 Jun 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Hmmm...so it would be fair to estimate 40-45 minutes from DC down the express lanes to where they end, then 35-60 on to Fredericksburg, then another 45-60 on to Charlottesville. Interesting; it sounds almost as if there is no major difference between the I-66/US-29 route and this one on a Friday evening (during the day on Saturday is a different story by far, of course)--other than the lack of the B.O. Lady if you go the other way Thanks.
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kortegel
New Slug Joined: 26 Apr 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Well, your estimate of 40-45 minutes to make it down the HOV is a bit long...you'll get to the end in more like 30 minutes going the speed limit...20 if you fly!
K.O. |
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USA
New Slug Joined: 06 Jun 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I usually do 70-75 if traffic permits. I was counting the time to get from the office to the express lanes, plus a few minutes for a slowdown in Springfield when the local traffic jams it up.
I heard that when the Springfield Interchange construction is done, the express lane entrance just south of Duke Street is to be closed off (probably due to the separation of through and local traffic in Springfield). Has anyone else heard this? quote: |
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thirdbag
New Slug Joined: 10 Sep 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I have seen people make it to Rt 3 in 50 minutes from the Pentagon and then sometimes take 1 hr. 20 minutes. So from the end of the HOV3 30-40 minutes I would say is average, and I haven't seen BO Lady for a couple weeks, although I jumped into a car she was already in over a month ago, and you WILL know who she is and can pass her over, it's your car.
Hope that helps. thirdbag |
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