We went from Orient Beach area to the Dutch side, through Marigot today. The traffic going the opposite way towards Orient Beach was slow from Marigot. One hour later, the return trip was at speed. No slow down, but the other side had slow traffic.
The traffic changes daily and hourly. Take your chance on the shortest route. French butter is available in SuperU, but this is an island dependent on shipping for supplies and sometimes the ship is late.