Avoiding Freeways

This morning was the first real test of how Fix I-5 is going to affect Sacramento commuter traffic, and so far things seem to have gone smoothly. I think the real test will begin tomorrow, because the Monday and Friday commutes are always lighter than the rest of the week. When the trucks heading up from Southern California hit Sacramento tomorrow morning, we'll see how things go.

In the meantime, my commute was very nice, although the route was a bit longer than normal. If you live in Elk Grove and work in West Sacramento, it's actually possible to avoid freeways altogether, by taking the River Roads. Not advisable at night or in the fog, but perfect for these late spring mornings.

First, you head south and then east towards the road on the east side of the river, near Hood:

Then, you cross the river to the west side, at the Freeport Bridge:

And then before you know it, you magically find yourself in West Sacramento.

From doorstep to office equaled 33 miles, about 12 more than normal. But few cars were in sight, the view is very nice (in fact, you have to be careful to keep your eyes on the road and not on the river, because if you don't you could find yourself in the river).

Heading home should present no problem, with only the northbound lanes being closed. In other words, so far so good.