MtnHigh Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 What the @#$% is up with all the traffic in Washington state? The last two weekends I've been forturate to leave the confines of Portandia and climb in the Cascades. Last weekend Index, this weekend Stuart. On both occasions I found myself driving west bound heading home late afternoon/early evening on Sundays. Hwy 2 from Index and I90 from the Teanaway Rd. And on both occasions I found myself STUCK IN TRAFFIC JAMS 40-70 miles from I5. Yesterday between Roslyn and Snoqualmie Pass the traffic alternated between a 1st gear crawl to 80mph sprints. Last week we inched along from Gold Bar to Sultan. Is the traffic always like that on Sunday and I've just been lucky to miss it all these years??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothrop Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawgoddess Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 yes. that's when just about everybody is heading home from somewhere they went for the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 At least there is some measure of predictability about it. In general, it seems to me these backups seem the worst if you are headed toward Seattle with an estimated arrival time between 6:00 and 9:00 pm or so. If you'd just take a little longer on your climb you might not get the car-to-car bragging rights, bt you'll probably have less trouble on the highway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 They're doing some work on I-90 lately, and the Sultan stoplight ALWAYS bungs things up (in the time window Matt describes). Note the signs in Sultan re: contacting your legislator. Could the WCC build Sultan an overpass? Also of note, there is some major work going on on 530 West of Darrington. We got stopped for about 1/2 hour on our way back from NCNP. Hwy 20 might be the way to go for NCNP until this job is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 Yesterday between Roslyn and Snoqualmie Pass the traffic alternated between a 1st gear crawl to 80mph sprints. I saw that as I headed home. for once, i felt glad to live on the east side! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espirita Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 At least the views are nice (mostly). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbb Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 Yep, except last night it was stopped from Index->sultan. damn traffic light. I've heard that one happens every sunday and clears up around 9pm. sucks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducknut Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 I-5 northbound was a parking lot from Seattle to south of Olympia yesterday afternoon/evening. I was happy to be heading south and the drivers going north. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_b Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 it is usually worthwhile to drive back early monday a.m., for at least a couple of reasons (no traffic being one of them). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrythellama Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 your best bet is to head east to yakima and then south, cross the river at burns and then drive to pdx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeleRoss Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 I was stuck on the HWY 2 parking lot yesterday. 5mph from Index to the light in Sultan....super lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 your best bet is to head east to yakima and then south, cross the river at burns and then drive to pdx. god I hope you mean biggs. either way, that sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Your best bet is to stop for dinner or something and wait for the jam to fade out. As noted, if you drive past Index after 9:00 p.m. you rarely have a problem. Alternatively, you could cut the lcimbing day short and head home early, but how many of us are willing to do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double_E Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 planning a trip out to the Quinault area this weekend. after reading all this (and memories of the times I've been stuck in Sunday traffic on I5)... I think I'm gonna push for leaving Quinault around 8 pm. cuz whether we leave there at 6 pm, or leave there at 8 pm, we'll probably get back to Seattle at 11 or 1130, either way. might as well just prolong the play time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterMo Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 What the @#$% is up with all the traffic in Washington state? The last two weekends I've been forturate to leave the confines of Portandia and climb in the Cascades. Last weekend Index, this weekend Stuart. On both occasions I found myself driving west bound heading home late afternoon/early evening on Sundays. Hwy 2 from Index and I90 from the Teanaway Rd. And on both occasions I found myself STUCK IN TRAFFIC JAMS 40-70 miles from I5. Yesterday between Roslyn and Snoqualmie Pass the traffic alternated between a 1st gear crawl to 80mph sprints. Last week we inched along from Gold Bar to Sultan. Is the traffic always like that on Sunday and I've just been lucky to miss it all these years??? Traffic on SR2 in the Sky Valley is so bad that I just never go down the hill on Sunday anymore...........an option maybe not open to you. Below Skykomish the only portion of SR2 to which there is absolutely no alternative is the chunk over the Wallace River between Gold Bar and Startup. Other than that, if you're creative and can read a map you have choices. If you take an alternate route that leads you through, say, Index.....please drive pretty slow so I (we) don't get all pissy and irate & such. Sultan is adding a second light; if the two aren't synchronized it could be doubly awful there soon. And lastly, special thanks to the Washington State Legislature for passing a whopping gas tax increase with NONE of it going to SR2. Fuckers. Now I know how the folks east of the crest feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
To_The_Top Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 That section of HWay2 blows.... Been stuck a few Sunday nights (last couple of weeks) coming home and whoa, another accident blocking. whine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashw_justin Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Be smarter than the sheep! Don't drive a major highway during rush hour... which apparently is all the time in the Snohomish River Valley. No I take that back. 5 AM is usually ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Pete you're driving the wrong way dude. Don't drive anywhere near Seattle on Sunday afternoon. Head back through Yakima. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Your best bet is to stop for dinner or something and wait for the jam to fade out. As noted, if you drive past Index after 9:00 p.m. you rarely have a problem. Alternatively, you could cut the lcimbing day short and head home early, but how many of us are willing to do that? Yup...just like weekend skiing at Stevens Pass. If you leave at the typical 3 or 4pm you get to sit along US2 with all the families in their SUVs heading home. Get some night turns (or hang out in the bar? ) and leave at 7pm and you are much better off. On a remotely related note, i have been amazed to find how many people don't realize that going to leavenworth is *generally* faster via I90/US97 than via US2. If you are going during daylight hours you are almost certainly going to make up for the extra milage on I90 by not having to stop as much as you would on US2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawgoddess Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 shhh!!!! dammit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireneo_Funes Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Winter and the Llama are right. Go by way of Yakima/the Gorge whenever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kix Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 On a remotely related note, i have been amazed to find how many people don't realize that going to leavenworth is *generally* faster via I90/US97 than via US2. If you are going during daylight hours you are almost certainly going to make up for the extra milage on I90 by not having to stop as much as you would on US2. cle elum to the pass is often still an issue on the return. YOUR CARS ARE KILLING THE SOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOURS. and mine. dammit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downfall Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 No gas tax going to sultan but they got money from the new transportation bill for that new lite and the sync of the lights: http://www.taxpayer.net/Transportation/safetealu/WA.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kix Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 theres some good stuff in that bill. Of course, now we have to live the nightmare while the construction is in progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.