They say that my area has the worst traffic in the nation but once you learn the backroads - all is good!
That’s the problem with Northern Virginia: there are no back roads. If you think of DC as the center of a circle, I-66 is about 270 degrees W; I-95/US-1 are about 210 degrees SW... There is not a single road heading in-and-out between those two roads. Imagine having to take I-95 from New York to New London, or else go up by way of I-87 to I-90 to I-290/I-395. That’s what it’s like.
... and I should note that at Gainesville, I-66 becomes more like 290 degrees W, and I-95/US-1 becomes more like 170 degrees South at Fredericksburg.
I lived in Bridgeport (1974-82). It stunk even back then
“I live in Southern Connecticut and I pretty much avoid I-95 at all costs.”
Eastern CT becoming a bedroom community of NYC really screwed that stretch of highway.
When I was driving long haul my dispatchers NEVER had first hand of experience of east coast traffic. They couldn’t believe I-95 was congested.
I tried explaining that on Fridays, Sundays and holidays I-95 would be one big clusterscrew from Boston, MA to Petersburg, VA where it thinned out a bit. No one believed me.
US 1 and 301 used to be decent roads but the sheer number of people getting off the Interstate and local growth has made them as bad as I-95.
US 29 has some of the same problems.
Ain’t no good options going north or south in Virginia.
I miss driving OTR but don’t miss the traffic.