Expect Traffic Delays Around Billy Graham Funeral

CHARLOTTE, NC — From Charlotte, to the nation’s capitol, and back home again. Tonight the body of America’s Pastor is back in Charlotte. Tomorrow more than 2,000 guests will pack a tent to lay Billy Graham to rest.

The Graham family will welcome dignitaries from around the world, representing many religions, all coming to pay their respects to the reverend.

The funeral will also mean extra security, and traffic delays, around the Billy Graham Library Friday.

“Members of the Graham family, and friends, and team members here are looking at tomorrow’s funeral service Billy Graham’s last crusade,” explained Mark DeMoss with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Reverend Billy Graham’s remains were transported from the nation’s capitol Thursday, returned to his hometown of Charlotte.

Graham’s casket was carried down the Capitol steps in a solemn departure ceremony, a day after lawmakers, and president trump, paid tribute to Graham as he lay in honor at the Capitol Rotunda.

The legendary evangelical minister died last week at the age of 99. His funeral is scheduled for noon Friday at the Billy Graham Library.

“The funeral service itself was planned largely by Mr. Graham and his longtime associate, the late, Cliff Barrows more than a decade ago,” said DeMoss.

Billy Graham Parkway will be closed between South Tryon and West Tyvola, from midnight through an hour or two after the funeral. That will mean extra travel time for thousands of drivers who use that route every day.

“More than likely it will be an additional 20 minutes, because I’ll have to go all the way down, and all the way down the back roads to avoid that straight shot of Billy Graham,” says SouthPark resident Galen Massey.

Massey says the extra time behind the wheel is just a temporary inconvenience.

“I’m an Uber driver,” says Massey. “I go to the airport four or five times a day. But he was a great man, and deserves the respect. So I’ll put up with the inconvenience.”

“It’ll be longer commute times, of course, and longer alternate commute times as well,” says Dilworth resident Jenna Simons. “So it’ll be kind of throwback to when the presidential election was happening, and everybody kept traveling through Charlotte.”

More than 2,000 guests are expected to attend the funeral, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

Billy Graham will be buried next to his late wife, Ruth, at the library.