sjfehr |
05-25-2014 11:58 AM |
I make the Harrisburg-VA Beach trip routinely, and so long as you're not hitting DC on a holiday weekend, there is no faster way to Richmond than 95. 15 to 270 to 495 to 95 will likely be the fastest. You will likely lose 15 minutes in DC no matter which what time of day it is, but during rush hour, the alternate routes are all bad, too. Plan your trip to avoid hitting DC in rush hour and you'll be fine; I like to leave Harrisburg between 10-11am, which would get you to Richmond before 3. Do bear in mind that 95 is designed for rush-hour traffic which peters out with distance; holiday traffic OTOH snarls when the lanes reduce and turns 95 between DC and Richmond into a 90 mile parking lot and you need to do whatever you can to avoid it.
Another good option is 15 through Leesburg and Manassas; I can't stand it because it's a lot of 2 lane roads with no passing zones and you will invariably be travelling at or below speed limit. (My parents prefer it, but they're usually the ones travelling below speed limit holding everyone else up.) You can either cut back to 95 via 17 if traffic looks good, or wind your way south through the other secondary highways and come in via 64. There are several nice civil war battlefields along this route which are worth stopping and checking out; if you just hit one, see Manassas/Bull Run.
Skyline drive is well out of your way, but as it's a destination unto itself, it may be worth it. It's a really really nice drive. Very low speed limits, though, and a lot of slow tourists. (The mountains west are nicer from a pure driver's perspective if you're looking for more "fun" roads.)
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