With the Bidens in Raleigh, expect traffic jams between the airport and fairgrounds
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will be in Raleigh on Friday to host a post-debate campaign rally at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. And with their arrival, traffic jams are likely to follow.
The Bidens are expected to arrive about 12:30 at the Jim Graham Building, the largest of the fairgrounds buildings. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will join them.
Protests may also crop up in the area with various social media accounts calling on people to assemble near the fairgrounds against what they see as Biden’s mishandling of the Israel-Hamas war.
Between the rally and potential protests, traffic congestion will likely begin early in the day. The local police typically close off the roads for visiting presidents and their entourage.
But it’s unclear which areas — beyond the ones surrounding the fairgrounds — could see the most traffic.
Should Biden be staying at a hotel near RDU, the fastest route from the airport to the fairgrounds, according to Google Maps, is via Interstate 40 East, to Wade Avenue, then to Blue Ridge Road.
Raleigh Police Lt. Jason Borneo told The N&O Thursday that like past visits, the agency “will collaborate with the United States Secret Service to assist with road closures, traffic detours, and site security.”
Borneo said the specific strategies related to “the President and First Lady’s safety and security will not be disclosed. Extensive planning and resource allocation have gone into the visit.” He said the community “should expect extended road closures along the motorcade route and at the event site.”
State Highway Patrol spokesperson Christopher Knox told the N&O the agency would not be handling traffic control or security.
Biden and Trump visits
Biden and former President Donald Trump have both made multiple visits to North Carolina this year.
Most recently, Biden visited North Carolina in late April in a stop to Charlotte to honor law enforcement officers killed in a mass shooting. Biden was also in Raleigh in late March alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at the John Chavis Memorial Park to speak on affordable health care.
Trump was most recently in the state attending NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in Concord. He also was set to hold a rally in Wilmington in late April but this was canceled due to severe weather.
