Without even realizing it, I got lucky when I picked my lodging for Friday and Saturday nights. I was less than a mile from the meet location, just across I-64. That enabled me to sleep in a bit and catch up on some of the rest I had missed the night before and from staying up to watch UK beat K-State.
Got to see a lot of construction on US 17 as part of the meet tour, and a lot of other sights. Froggie put together an interesting tour. After our last stop, I opted to ride back to the restaurant because I had a couple of clinches I wanted to accomplish. I drove east (but in a westerly direction) on I-64 to I-664 back to I-64 to pick up what I needed to finish off US 258 in Virginia. I'm still not sure why this route exists as a US route. After I got to the end, I took VA 143 to get on I-64 right before the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. VMS notifications said there was a long delay, but I was able to merge right in to the bumper-to-bumper traffic. The tunnel must have been causing the slowdown because there were no incidents, and traffic got up to speed coming up the incline out of the tunnel. (Westbound was moving at full speed). I took the first exit and then followed US 60 to US 13, then took US 13 south to US 17, getting me a clinch of 13 in Virginia. Some of the others opted to eat at a Mexican restaurant in Virginia Beach, but since Mexican food doesn't really like me, I just got something at Burger King and took it back to my room.
Sunday morning's drive up to Salisbury was uneventful. Saw a couple of error VA 13 signs that have been installed since I was last up that way (during the trip to the last Richmond meet). Also, police were crawling all over the road, both Virginia and Maryland state police and local cops.
My original plan for Sunday was to get to Richmond for the night, but I changed my plan after finding out that the sick cat wasn't doing as well as she had been. I knew I would probably have to cut out early on the tour to make my original destination, but I decided that I needed to get farther west. So I left after lunch, before everyone was finished, and decided to get a room in Farmville. The drive across US 50 from Salisbury was uneventful, and traffic wasn't too bad on the Beltway. A wreck on I-95 snarled traffic, though, and there was a further delay at a lane drop. After that, however, it was smooth sailing.
Was surprised to see a 24/7 HOV lane on US 50. I'm used to seeing HOV lanes only during specified hours.
I'm guessing that all the work in the median of 95 is for widening or lengthening the HOV lanes.
Took I-95 to I-195 to VA 76 to VA 288 to hit US 360 west. I remember VA 307 being a shortcut between 360 and 460 back in the late 1960s, so I'm surprised it hasn't been widened to four lanes like the US routes have been.
Made Farmville around 7, and could have pressed on to Lynchburg if I had wanted, but in the end it wouldn't have made any difference.
The tunnel must have been causing the slowdown because there were no incidents, and traffic got up to speed coming up the incline out of the tunnel.
Part of it was traffic. But based on the pattern, I think part of it was also a temporary stoppage to turn around an overheight westbound truck. As I noted to the meet attendees in my car, turning around overheight westbound trucks is the #1 cause of congestion at the HRBT.
If you took the "first exit", you didn't follow all of US 60, as US 60 exits I-64 at the second exit (Exit 273/4th View St).
Sunday morning's drive up to Salisbury was uneventful. Saw a couple of error VA 13 signs that have been installed since I was last up that way (during the trip to the last Richmond meet).
Where did you see these? I don't recall seeing any, and I've been on the Eastern Shore a lot lately.
Also, police were crawling all over the road, both Virginia and Maryland state police and local cops.
That's odd. Aside from the usual CBBT cops (can always count on at least 1), I only saw 3 Maryland cops, and I was already past Princess Anne when I saw them.
Both. Some is widening (north of the Beltway to Prince William Pkwy/VA 294). Some is lengthening (from Dumfries south). It is also to convert the HOV lanes to HO/T lanes.
I remember VA 307 being a shortcut between 360 and 460 back in the late 1960s, so I'm surprised it hasn't been widened to four lanes like the US routes have been.
No need to. Traffic on 307 averages about 5400 AADT. High enough to warrant improvements, but not high enough to warrant 4 lanes.
I had previously done that maneuver on my last trip to the area.
At VA 179, and then again at the interchange with Business 13 just north of there. I had to check my photos to be sure, but sure enough. There they were. They are new since the fall of 2012.
Saw one CBBT cop at each toll gate, and at least two Virginia state troopers and a few more locals. At one spot, one state and two locals had a vehicle pulled over in the southbound lanes.