Traffic gets busy near Fort Bragg
Renee Siemiet leaves her home north of Fort Bragg every morning at 6 for her commute into Fayetteville. She doesn't have to be at work until 8 a.m., but if she left any later the traffic could make her late.
Congestion during morning and evening rush hours clogs Bragg Boulevard near Fort Bragg, especially at Vass Road, the Randolph gate and the Knox gate.
"Sometimes the cars are backed up a mile or more," she said.
Siemiet said she expected a slight improvement over the summer with fewer buses and cars on the road. But any reprieve would likely be short-lived as more soldiers arrive home from war this fall and as Fort Bragg continues to grow.
"It's going to get worse before it gets better," said Rick Heicksen, Cumberland County's senior transportation planner.
There are plans to widen Bragg Boulevard to six lanes in Spring Lake, but that work won't begin for at least another two years, Heicksen said. And even that's not a permanent solution.
Three major roadways - N.C. 24, N.C. 87 and N.C. 210 - converge in Spring Lake, creating a bottleneck for everyone headed to Fayetteville or Fort Bragg.
More than 50,000 vehicles travel the stretch of highway every day, and that number is expected to double in the next 20 years.
For now, it's probably best to avoid Bragg Boulevard during rush hour if possible.