Need Advice Broadlands to Chantilly- 50 East, 7:30am-ish, how is it?

Hi folks!

I start a new job on Monday and will be driving to Chantilly for an 8am showtime. i HAAAATE the bottleneck between waxpool and the airport at that time and was considering trying belmont ridge to 50 East- anyone use this route currently? traffic? construction? different bottleneck that i'd have to worry about?

 

Congrats and good luck!

I've heard from friends who live in the south riding area that 50 east bound can get pretty nasty during the morning rush hour.

28 is actually pretty good once you get past the airport, and it is signal free almost all the way. However, I have not driven during that hour in the recent past.

Have you considered trying LCP (from South riding) to Braddock?

 

Congrats on the new job!

Honestly I found a 7:10 departure time helped. Last week I had a 8AM meeting near Stone Ridge (Aldie) and I took the back roads. Cut through Villages of Waxpool to Belmont, North Star (backside of the Brambleton TC), Gum Springs to Route 50. It took me 25 minutes.

 

I work at Westfields, and have to be at work at 7:30 am. If I leave between 7 & 7:05 I can be at my office in about 20 min - and that's taking 28 all the way. Leaving Broadlands I take Broadlands Blvd to Ashburn Rd (? - the one running in front of Broad Run High) to Farmwell, rather than Waxpool to avoid the back up at the 4 way stops. Once I get on 28, I get immediately get in the far left lane which usually keeps me out of the bottleneck at the Greenway/Toll Road.
Coming home is a different story entirely - I stay on the ramp from Westfield's to Walney, left on Walney through the next 2 lights and hang a right onto the street that runs next to the Chantilly Auto Park. Then I turn left onto 50, taking it to Gum Springs, then Evergreen Mills, to Belmont Ridge and in on Truro Parish. That takes about 35 min or so, but is better than the back ups on 28. If I do take 28, for whatever reason, I usually stay in the right lane and take the loop onto Waxpool rather than the flyover. The traffic is usually a bit better that way.
Good luck with the new job!

 

I never have a problem getting to Rt. 50 using the back roads......BUT, going up 50 towards Chantilly is a nightmare many mornings. It gets backed up all the way up to almost 28 (near Target). It takes me so much longer - so I take Greenway to 28 to Chantilly in the mornings. I know it's a pain to pay - but the difference in time is 20 min. commute to work vs. 45 to 50 min. Coming home the back way - down 50 to Loudoun County Pkwy is much quicker than in the morning.

 

yeah- this is what i am talking about- 50 itself, not getting to it (although evergreen mills concerned me too.)

I was hoping to start my commute no earlier than 7:25am... wishful thinking i guess!

thanks for the feedback- as always this board is full of reliable REAL info!

oh and thanks for the well wishes on the new gig!!!

 

home will be 5pm- serious traffic. though i hate the idea of sitting on 28 North for 45 minutes- i can deal with that. I don't think i'll bother with 50 coming home.

but in the MORNING- I really don't want to have to leave TOO early- i was praying for a 25-35 minute commute at that time of the morning. ld gig had me commuting 1 hour later and it's just as murderous between 28 and the airport, and then smooth sailing from there onto westfields.

 

I work off Westfields also (Mantech/CACI building area). The one nice thing I like about Broadlands (compared to when I lived in Leesburg) is that I can get on the toll road in about 60 seconds. I don't take it everyday but days where the snooze alarm wins or if I just feeling like getting home quickly I can always hop on the greenway and get home in 15-20 minutes.

I leave at about 8:30 and going Waxpool to 28 takes around 40 minutes.

 

I drop my daughter off in at Sullyfield Circle 3 evenings a week between 4 and 5:30 and have learned as long as I get on rt 50 at Stonecroft it is a much more enjoyable ride then 28 or straight up 50. It takes a couple times to get through that light (I think 3 is the most I have ever waited). Most of the problem on 50 west from anywhere else is at the light at that Target shopping center with all the traffic trying to merge down to 2 lanes.

Staci

 

update: did a test run to the new gig today taking belmont ridge to LCP to 50 then walney- HUGE MISTAKE. left home at 7:33, arrived at 8:14! the lights on 50 are murder- makes the 28 to IAD bottleneck look like a cakewalk.

28 to chantilly it is!!

coming home isn't a concern- i'll sit in traffic for awhile on 28 or take the greedway if in a hurry.

 

You probably will only save 3-9 minutes depending on the traffic taking 50, but every minute helps. First, always take Evergreen Mill Rd all the way to Loudoun County Parkway (606). I almost never encounter delays there on your morning or evening commute (sometimes the opposite commute can have delays). Usually the most significant delays on 50 (west of 28) are between the Sheetz at Poland Rd and and the Pepsi Plant in the morning. Sometimes I get real cute and take a right on Poland, left on Eastgate View, left on Tall Cedars, right back on 50. This only bypasses about a mile of the 2 mile back up, but again the every 2-3 minutes saved helps.

Eric:

In the evenings, try Stonecroft to 50. At peak times it is sometimes 2-3 cycles to turn left on 50. If you think it will take more than 1 cycles to get through the light, take a right on Pepsi way and a left at the next stop sign (By the U-Haul, I forget the name of that road). Then turn left onto 50 at that intersection. There is no light there but it is close enough to major traffic lights on both sides, so you normally have large breaks in traffic every 90 seconds or so. Once you get on 50 you normally only have another few minutes of heavy traffic westbound before it moves slowly. From the time you pass the Sheetz, you will normally be home in about 16-18 minutes even in the heart of rush hour. Again turn on 606 (Loudoun County Parkway) to Evergreen Mill Rd. It's an extra minute or two to go by the Arcola Community Center part of 659.

Bear

 

Eric: Yes, Stonecroft is the road I use. And has been mentioned a few times, there can be a 2 - 3 light cycle back up at the dealerships, but it's still way better than fighting the 28 & 50 mess or the 28 to the flyover and past Wegmans' mess. I leave work between 4:30 & 4:45 most evenings.

 

I still say the toll road is your best route. I worked in Chantilly for years (off Westfield's) and I justified the cost of the toll. No lights, no idling, no frustration, no kicking the dog. Now that they've built the extra lefthand ramp to the airport prior to getting on 28, that clog to the airport is minimized. Plus, I got a check back for using the toll road at the end of the year! Coming home at night, if you literally wait until one minute past 6, the difference is amazing.

 

Same here. As much as I hate the Greedway, after working in Chantilly for 10+ years I would rather pay the money to get home to my family sooner than sit in traffic and just be grumpy. Sure, anyone can adjust their time (leave earlier for work so you can get home earlier), but in the real world that just isn't possible.

As for the check back at the end of the year, I received one once. Even though I'm enrolled and take the Greedway home every day, I haven't seen a check in 5+ years. Doesn't matter that I keep re-enrolling when they tell me too either.

 

I'm with you steve, greedway is only for when I have no choice,i would hate to make it part of my weekly routine.