FORT BRAGG, N.C. — One of the most significant traffic changes in years is now underway at Fort Bragg after the All American Gate closed Monday, July 27, for a major road construction project expected to affect soldiers, employees, military families and visitors for as long as two years.
The All American Gate has long served as one of the installation’s primary entrances from Fayetteville, making the closure much more than a construction project inside Fort Bragg. Thousands of people travel between the installation and surrounding communities each day, and moving that traffic to other gates could change commute patterns across parts of Fayetteville, Spring Lake and Cumberland County.
The closure began at 5 a.m. Monday and includes the All American Gate as well as All American Freeway on post between the gate and Zabitosky Street. The Gruber Road interchange at All American Freeway is also affected, with traffic on Gruber being detoured around the overpass area.
The project is expected to take up to 24 months, meaning the changes could remain part of the daily Fort Bragg commute well into 2028.
Why the Road Is Closing
The construction is not simply a gate renovation. The larger project includes replacement of the Gruber Road bridge and major repairs to roadbed settlement along All American Freeway near the Rock Merritt Road exit.
Roadbed settlement occurs when the ground or materials beneath a roadway shift or compress, which can cause the pavement above to sink, crack or become uneven. Repairing significant settlement can require work beneath the roadway rather than simply resurfacing the pavement, making the project more extensive than a traditional road repaving.
Fort Bragg is working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation on the improvements. The installation has increasingly partnered with NCDOT for road projects, using the state agency’s experience with design, construction and contracting while the Army funds the work.
For commuters, however, the immediate concern is how to get on and off Fort Bragg while one of its busiest access points is unavailable.
Traffic that previously used All American Gate will now be distributed among other entrances around the installation. Twenty-four-hour options include Yadkin Road, Canopy Lane, Honeycutt Road, R. Miller Street, Long Street and Chicken Road. Rock Merritt Avenue, Butner Road and Manchester Road are available from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. under the current access plan.
Not every gate will be equally convenient depending on where a commuter lives or works on post. Those traveling from central and western Fayetteville may find Yadkin Road or Canopy Lane more practical, while commuters approaching from northern Cumberland County and Spring Lake may rely more heavily on Honeycutt Road, R. Miller Street or Butner Road.
That redistribution means the effects of the project could be felt beyond the closed stretch of All American Freeway. Intersections and roads approaching alternate gates may see more traffic during morning physical training and work hours, as well as during the afternoon commute when large numbers of employees and soldiers leave the installation at roughly the same time.
Fort Bragg has said additional personnel will be used at other gates to help manage traffic and that gate operations can be adjusted as officials see where congestion develops.
Commuters and Visitors Will Need to Adjust
For people who regularly use Fort Bragg, the first weeks of the closure may require some experimentation. A gate that appears closest on a map may not always be the fastest option once traffic volume, construction and the location of a person’s destination on post are considered.
Fort Bragg is encouraging commuters to allow additional travel time and monitor current traffic conditions before choosing a gate. The My Army Post App provides gate traffic information, while navigation services can also help drivers compare traffic on roads surrounding the installation.
Planning the entrance around the destination can make a major difference. Someone working on the northern side of Fort Bragg may lose time entering through a southern gate simply because it has a shorter line, while another commuter may find that driving several additional miles outside the installation avoids a longer backup inside the gate.
The closure also affects visitors, but the All American Visitor Control Center itself remains open. The important distinction is that obtaining a visitor pass at the center does not mean a driver can enter through the adjacent All American Gate.
Visitors who receive a pass there will need to leave the visitor center area and travel to another operating gate to enter the installation.
The Visitor Control Center is scheduled to remain open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. During the overnight period from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., one-day visitor passes can be obtained at the Canopy Lane Gate.
For people who do not regularly visit Fort Bragg, that could be one of the more confusing parts of the change. The visitor center remains accessible, but the roadway immediately beyond it is closed for installation access.
The project will likely require adjustments as traffic patterns become clearer. Some gates may experience heavier demand than expected, while commuters may gradually discover alternate routes that distribute traffic more evenly around the installation.
The change is particularly significant because Fort Bragg’s transportation network does not operate independently from the surrounding community. Traffic entering the installation originates on Fayetteville, Spring Lake and Cumberland County roads, so congestion at a gate can quickly affect nearby civilian streets and intersections.
For the thousands of people who travel to Fort Bragg each day, the All American Gate closure will likely become part of the daily routine rather than a short-term inconvenience.
With construction expected to continue for up to 24 months, commuters may need to become familiar with several different entrances instead of depending on one route every day. Checking gate conditions, leaving earlier during peak periods and learning alternate approaches could make the difference between a normal commute and a lengthy delay as Fort Bragg works through one of its largest current road projects.
Kres Thomas
Fort Bragg Today
