The Rain And A Presidential Visit During The Evening Rush Is A Recipe For Traffic Mess

CHARLOTTE, NC. — The rain and a Presidential visit during the evening rush is a recipe for a traffic mess. Expect major delays if you’re driving between Charlotte Douglas Airport and Bojangles’ Coliseum, where the rally will take place.

The President’s rally is set to start at seven Friday night, and doors open at four. The Highway Patrol says bumper-to-bumper traffic will start before that. Especially because the ramp from Eastbound Independence to Briar Creek closes at 5 a.m.

25 minutes is how long it took driving from Charlotte-Douglas Airport to Bojangles’ Coliseum on Thursday during a normal rush hour. The same time Friday, Highway Patrol says to expect the drive to be much longer.

City officials say some roads along the route from the airport to Bojangles’ Coliseum will be closed for short periods of time during the afternoon commute and again in the evening.

Highway Patrol says if you can, avoid the Brookshire side of the 277 loop, and Independence Boulevard from 3-7 p.m.

Some, like Takima Myrick, don’t have that luxury. She has to take Independence to get to work
everyday.

“It’s stop and go. Really. It’s like the merging. People don’t know how to merge for real,” says Myrick.

Highway Patrol says even if you try and avoid Independence, like taking Monroe Road, you’re still out of luck.

“I would expect the main roads and even the back roads to back up,” says North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Ray Pierce.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools wants parents to know some buses may be late getting children home tomorrow because of the road closures and added traffic.