Blue Ridge Road tunnel construction delayed another year, businesses feeling the impact

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — If NCDOT officials have their way, the Blue Ridge Road underpass will soon be completed.

However, due to complications in construction, according to NCDOT officials, it will take at least another year before the project is completed.

These delays have long caused frustration and inconvenience to the nearby PFS Sales Company.

“It’s been a struggle for us,” said employee Whitney Payne. “At one point during construction, there were 86 dump trucks coming and going and hauling rocks and debris back and forth.”

NCDOT said construction delays were due to increasing labor and material shortages, railroad diversions, underground utility lines that needed to be relocated that took longer than expected, and soil from railroad track movement.

“And we’ve had issues with internet outages, power outages, flooding. There’s a sinkhole opening up under our building in this parking lot,” Payne added. “This would be the third time this has happened. And we have tractor-trailers that deliver stuff here 5 days a week. Not to mention we have staff here and I don’t want their cars falling into the sinkhole.”

According to NCDOT, the new completion date is scheduled to be before the start of the 2025 North Carolina State Fair and for part of the 2025 NC State Wolfpack football season.

PFS Sales staff said they have been in touch with officials regarding the delays, but efforts to provide adequate diversion signs for their businesses have been unsuccessful.

“Once things get better, it would be nice to not have their vehicles here. So we can run our business and not have to work around them anymore,” Payne said.

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