The North Carolina State Fair takes over West Raleigh in roughly two months, and that means so will the traffic.
The Blue Ridge Road underpass project, scheduled for completion ahead of this year’s fair, is delayed, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Other WRAL Top Stories
“It’ll be a little more challenging, maybe not to use the road. There aren’t a lot of things that you can get to off that road,” said Ashley Cahil, who lives off of Blue Ridge Road.
“That’s a little disappointing. I would love to come to the state fair with my kids and be able to enjoy it. But it doesn’t make it super accessible for everybody, and it makes it harder to get down here,” said Kaylla Tozzo, who was visiting the flea market Sunday morning when learning the news.
Shoppers at the flea market on the fairgrounds described the construction woes last year as a bumper-to-bumper nightmare. They’re concerned this year will likely be the same experience.
“Last year, we parked at the Lenovo Center, got out of the car, and walked a quarter of a mile, and we said there’s no way we’re making it today,” said Tozzo.
“I actually ended up taking my kids out of school early to come to the fair during the week because we couldn’t make it on the weekend because it was so crowded and busy,” she added.
According to the NC Department of Agriculture, the 2024 state fair had nearly one million visitors.
Those visitors combined with events at the Lenovo Center and N.C. State games are considered a growing pain, also taking a toll on local businesses.
“I was a little uneasy, to be honest with you. We were sort of counting on it being open, but knowing that it's been, you know, a fair amount of delays. Some are natural, you know, causes, some aren't. But it was not unexpected,” said Jeff Hastings, owner of Burke Brothers Hardware.
“I'm thinking that it's impacting a lot, because we do get a lot of customers that still call and say, How do I get there?
He said over the years, Powell Drive near his business has become a natural detour for drivers for the nearly month-long period the fair is underway.
"The road closure, inflation, and potential tariffs has made it rough to navigate the road at this time," Hastings said.
”The normal foot traffic, the people that we see day in and day out, cuts down about 20%. During a normal state fair with Hillsborough and Blue Ridge, that actually has gone down about 35% so there has been an impact,” Hastings added.
While this projected detour in the project’s timeline is disappointing, most are hopeful it will be worth it in the end.
“I’m sure it will when the road is done and there are people able to access it again,” said Cahil.
Burke Brothers Hardware is also trying to find the silver lining in it all.
“One of the benefits, though, for the State Fair is a lot of the vendors since we've been here since 1936… a lot of the vendors at the fair know that we're here, and so when they come into town, being one of the last fairs of the season, they come in and buy stuff to get ready for the fair, and then also stuff to clean up after the fair. It is good. We sort of count on that,” added Hastings.
The NC DOT is on track to reopen the Beryl Road bridge before the start of the fair.
A spokesperson said this means fairgoers, NC State football fans, and concert attendees at the Lenovo Center can expect traffic patterns similar to last year.
“We expect substantial completion of the I-440 improvements by the end of this year, with final elements such as vegetation planting to follow in 2026, once weather conditions are suitable. The Blue Ridge Road project remains on schedule for completion in 2026,” said Kim Deaner, a spokesperson for the NCDOT.