Going to the Coca-Cola 600? Here’s how to avoid traffic around Charlotte Motor Speedway

Evan Moore
·1 min read

Thousands of race fans will be at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, which means more traffic is expected in northeast Mecklenburg County and southwest Cabarrus County this week.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is preparing for increased traffic on Interstate 49 and Bruton Smith Boulevard, according to the state agency.

“Bruton Smith Boulevard often sees the most traffic volume because mobile direction services and GPS devices typically direct users to this route,” NCDOT stated in a news release. “NCDOT advises motorists to follow U.S. 29 instead to reduce delays getting to the speedway.”

Here are some suggested routes for motorists heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway:

  • From South Carolina: Take I-77 North to the I-485 outer loop (Exit 1B) to U.S. 29 North (Exit 32) or N.C. 49 North (Exit 33).

  • From west of Charlotte: Take I-85 North to I-485 (Exit 30) and follow I-485 Inner to U.S. 29 North. An alternate route is I-85 North to Poplar Tent Road (Exit 52) to Pitts School Road to U.S. 29 South.

  • From east of Charlotte: Take the I-485 outer loop to U.S. 29 North (Exit 32) or N.C. 49 North (Exit 33); and

  • From north of Charlotte: Take I-85 South to George W. Liles Parkway (Exit 54) to U.S. 29 South.

Commuters who travel on I-85 should adjust their driving time or use an alternate route during the weekend, NCDOT recommends.

For real-time traffic information, visit drivenc.gov or follow NCDOT on Facebook and Twitter.