BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Traffic congestion around Mull Elementary south of Morganton is raising safety concerns for some parents.
A mother shared video with Channel 9 of a daycare bus going into the opposite lane to get around cars at the elementary school.
>>LINK: Stay updated on live traffic conditions
The school district says it works closely with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and law enforcement on traffic patterns and congestion caused by school rider traffic.
There are 11,000 students who attend school in Burke County, but only 31% ride the bus.
“I see so many just about collisions that you just cringe. It’s just you know it’s eventually gonna happen,” mother Linda Fowler said.
Down the road from Mull Elementary, there is more traffic congestion outside Liberty Middle School where cars were going the wrong way along a two-lane road.
The school district encourages parents to reach out to schools when they notice a problem so the district can work with NCDOT.
“We work closely with the NCDOT and law enforcement on traffic patterns and school car rider traffic and ask that motorists be patient and follow traffic laws and patterns around schools for the safety of our students and families,” district officials said.
On Thursday afternoon, Channel 9’s Dave Faherty spotted some families arriving one hour before dismissal with cars backing up along Old N.C. 18 and Old Colony Road before the final bell.
The congestion can make it challenging to get around the school.
People get really angry when drivers try to cut in line or skip ahead instead of waiting their turn, parents said.
The Highway Patrol in Burke County says it has been focusing patrols in school zones. State troopers are asking drivers to exercise patience around all the schools.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
