Traffic Team 9's Race Traffic Guide

None — RACE TRAFFIC GUIDE -- BEST AND WORST ROUTES TO THE SPEEDWAY, WHEN TO AVOID THE AREA, AND EXCLUSIVE ALTERNATE ROUTES FROM TRAFFIC TEAM 9.

RACE TRAFFIC (Friday) --

Traffic on I-85 near Bruton Smith Blvd./Exit 49 is expected to be much heavier than normal for the Friday afternoon commute. Thousands of fans will be arriving for the Nationwide series race at the same time thousands of commuters are driving home to the Concord area. NCDOT recommends that commuters attempt to leave work early and allow extra time for the afternoon commute. The slowest traffic is expected from 4 p.m. through 7 p.m.

Highway 29

will be extremely congested and should be avoided on Friday afternoon.

For commuters seeking an alternate route:

Highway 49 is 4-lanes through Harrisburg and is expected to flow smoothly for the Friday commute. Additional alternate routes are listed below under "Avoiding Race Traffic."

RACE TRAFFIC (Saturday) --

Major delays are expected near Charlotte Motor Speedway from 2 p.m. through 7 p.m. on Saturday. Race traffic veterans say the best alternate route is to avoid the Speedway/Concord Mills area altogether. Alternate routes between Charlotte and Concord are listed below under "Avoiding Race Traffic."

Highway 29

will be closed to thru-traffic at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Traffic on I-85

will be slow and congested, but

thru-traffic

is not expected to face impossible delays. Significant backups are expected in the right two lanes of I-85 North and South approaching Bruton Smith Blvd./Exit 49 as fans exit toward the Speedway. Traffic in the far left lane is expected to be very slow but still moving, providing an option for thru-traffic that doesn't want to use an alternate route.

Highway 49

rarely sees backups on race day and serves as a good alternate route between Charlotte and Concord.

BEST ROUTE TO THE SPEEDWAY FROM NORTH OR WEST CHARLOTTE --

If traveling to the Speedway from north, central, or west Charlotte, use I-85 North to I-485 South (inner loop)/Exit 48 to Highway 29/Exit 32. NCDOT has more resources based on Highway 29 and can better control the flow of traffic entering the parking lots. Traffic on Highway 29 is usually much lighter than traffic along Bruton Smith Blvd.

BEST ROUTE TO THE SPEEDWAY FROM SOUTH OR EAST CHARLOTTE --

If traveling to the race from south or east Charlotte, or from South Carolina, NCDOT recommends using I-485 East (outer loop) to Highway 29/Exit 32. This route helps drivers avoid the major backups at the Bruton Smith Blvd. /I-85 interchange.

BEST ROUTE TO THE SPEEDWAY FROM CONCORD/HUNTERSVILLE --

If traveling to the race from Concord, Huntersville, or Highway 73, use Poplar Tent Rd. to Pitts School Rd. to Highway 29. This is a "backdoor" route to Charlotte Motor Speedway that avoids the heavily congested intersection of Highway 29 and Bruton Smith Blvd.

WORST ROUTE TO THE SPEEDWAY --

I-85 to Bruton Smith Blvd. is the slowest route to the Speedway. According to NCDOT traffic engineers, "traffic along Bruton Smith Blvd. barely moves." NCDOT recommends avoiding Bruton Smith Blvd. if at all possible.

AVOIDING RACE TRAFFIC --

The best way to avoid getting caught in race traffic is to avoid traveling between Charlotte and Concord on race weekend. There is no easy way to avoid the Speedway-area congestion along Highway 29, Bruton Smith Blvd., and I-85. However, if you must travel between Charlotte and Concord, the following expert advice and alternate routes will help you avoid the worst backups:

If you choose to use I-85,

stay in the far left lane. The slowest traffic will be in the right two lanes of I-85 North and South approaching Bruton Smith Blvd./Exit 49.

Highway 49

is 4-lanes through Harrisburg and rarely sees backups on race day. Highway 49 is considered the best alternate route between Charlotte and Concord.

WSOC