The N.C. State Fair that opens this week will be the sixth one to coincide with the reconstruction of the Raleigh Beltline nearby. And it will be the last.
The widening of Interstate 440 to six lanes between Wade Avenue and Interstate 40 will be substantially complete by the end of the year, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Only some minor work and landscaping will be left to be done in early 2026.
But the construction of an underpass to carry Blue Ridge Road under Hillsborough Street and the adjoining railroad tracks near the fairgrounds will continue through this State Fair and the next…