Traffic headaches coming to downtown Raleigh. Here are the streets to avoid
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Lane closures on McDowell Street start Thursday for rooftop equipment lift.
- Work likely slows southbound commutes into downtown through early April.
- Drivers advised to use Person Street or Rock Quarry Road exits from Beltline.
Expect heavy traffic through a main downtown Raleigh corridor this week as work continues to rebuild the Convention Center after December’s fire.
McDowell Street will see one or more of its lanes blocked as early as Thursday when a construction crane returns to lift new cooling equipment onto the roof.
This work will likely last through the first week of April and cause major slowdowns for traffic heading into downtown from the south.
Other options to detour traffic jams
McDowell Street runs one way north through downtown and is commonly used by commuters heading into downtown off the Raleigh Beltline.
Instead of taking the South Saunders Street exit off the Beltline, which turns into McDowell, consider either Person Street or Rock Quarry Road exits, which flow downtown further east.
Convention Center’s quick recovery
A large but brief rooftop blaze broke out at the center in December, starting with a refrigeration unit.
No one was injured in the fire, which left the building’s interior untouched. Most of the damage came from water in the kitchen and administrative offices.
New cooling elements will arrive this week to replace the temporary equipment, and a new kitchen will replace the mobile version at Red Hat Amphitheater.
“This group of people is incredible, they have worked nonstop to deliver results and solve problems since the December 1st fire.” said Kerry Painter, executive director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex. “And to not only get us back to a place where we’re having these huge events with tens of thousands of people, but to do that while our complex is getting bigger and better is a statement about what a tremendous team we have here.”
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Traffic headaches coming to downtown Raleigh. Here are the streets to avoid."