Hillsborough Street and I-440 in west Raleigh have reopened after a gas leak closed the roads for several hours, complicating commutes for drivers headed to the North Carolina State Fair.
Before 9:30 a.m., the road was closed between Beryl Road and Blue Ridge Road near the fairgrounds. I-440 between Western Boulevard and Wade Avenue was closed as well. Sky 5 flew over traffic backups all the way to Cary Parkway on I-440 North around 10 a.m.
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Around 1:30 p.m., I-440 fully reopened and Hillsborough Street partially reopened. One lane of Hillsborough Street under the I-440 bridge was still shut down.
The leak was caused by a damaged gas line.
Raleigh police said there were no evacuations.
A Norfolk Southern representative said the railway was temporarily holding train traffic in the area.
On Saturday, congestion was persistent throughout the afternoon in west Raleigh as fairgoers and those attending a Sabrina Carpenter concert at Lenovo Center ran into traffic and parking issues. The ongoing Blue Ridge Road construction project has slowed down fair traffic in recent years. The project aims to be complete in time for the 2025 state fair.