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Traffic is major concern heading into the weekend as North Carolina’s State Fair opens its gates as a nearby arena hosts big concert events.
Thousands of people will pour into the fairgrounds and also head to Lenovo Center to see pop singer Billie Eilish perform. She is set to hold sold-out concerts, both Thursday and Friday nights, which are not affiliated with the fair event.
On Tuesday night, traffic backed up and snarled for hours around the Carter-Finley Stadium where Chris Brown was performing. The stadium is near the fairgrounds and highlighted the traffic trouble yet to come over the weekend when two popular events will collide.
Raleigh Police said they have measures in place to direct people and help save time.
“If the fair is not going on, and I plan on going to an event at Lenovo, and it starts at 7, I’m going to be there at 6. OK, so now you add the fair to that,” Lt. David Davis with Raleigh Police Department said. “I’m going to probably be there at 5. You know, unfortunately that’s a couple hours before an event, but you know what? I’m not going to be stressed out trying to figure out where I’m going to park and just completely ruin the actual environment.”
Heavily impacted roads include:
- Hillsborough Street
- Blue Ridge Road
- Trinity Road
- Edwards Mill Road
- Wade Avenue
- Western Boulevard
- I-40
Travel and parking tips from RPD:
- Allow extra travel time
- Expect significantly increased traffic volumes near the fairgrounds
- Use Park-and-Ride options
- Consider alternative transportation to ease congestion:
- Bandwidth parking with shuttle: Dogwood Lot
- N.C. 54 parking with shuttle: Cardinal Lot
- N.C. by train (Amtrak Service)
- GoRaleigh Park and Ride Services
- GoDurham Bus Service
Safety Reminders:
- Have a plan: Know your parking, transportation and entry points before you leave home
- Limit what you bring: Only carry essential items into the fair
- Secure your vehicle: Do not leave valuables in your car, especially guns
- Remember: There is no truly secure hiding spot in a vehicle
- Do not park on highway shoulders: It creates safety hazards for you and others. It obstructs emergency vehicles that rely on shoulder access for rapid response
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Elizabeth Townsend
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