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Triangle Local

Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: Pearl Road at Rock Quarry closed through Dec. 17 for intersection work

The city shut the crossing Monday so contractors can line Pearl Road up with Barwell Road. Drivers are sent to the other Pearl Road meeting with Rock Quarry, near Granite Quarry Drive.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • The City of Raleigh closed the Pearl Road and Rock Quarry Road intersection from Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, through Thursday, Dec. 17, 2026, so the contractor can realign that crossing with Barwell Road.Confirmed by City of Raleigh closures and detours page; Barwell Road Improvement Project page
  • During the closure, drivers cannot travel through the Pearl Road and Rock Quarry Road intersection that is being rebuilt. A detour sends traffic to the other Pearl Road and Rock Quarry Road intersection, near Granite Quarry Drive.Confirmed by City of Raleigh closures and detours page; Barwell Road Improvement Project page
  • The work is part of the Barwell Road Improvement Project, which covers Barwell Road from Rock Quarry Road to Berkeley Lake Road. The city lists a two-way left-turn lane, sidewalks, a multi-use path, transit changes, and the Pearl Road realignment among the improvements.Confirmed by City of Raleigh, Barwell Road Improvement Project
  • The project's selected design includes a 6-foot sidewalk on the east side of Barwell Road and a 10-foot multi-use path on the west side.Confirmed by City of Raleigh, Barwell Road Improvement Project, Alternative 1
  • The city lists the project budget at $10.8 million. Construction is in progress. The published schedule shows construction starting in summer 2025 and finishing in fall 2027.Confirmed by City of Raleigh, Barwell Road Improvement Project
  • The News & Observer reported Monday afternoon that the city had closed Pearl Road at Rock Quarry that day for the realignment, and that the detour uses the other end of Pearl Road.Confirmed by The News & Observer, Oct. 19, 2026

Still unknown

  • Whether weather or utility work will change the Dec. 17 reopen date
  • Hour-by-hour flagger and lane patterns on Barwell Road during the closure

What this means for you

Roads
Pearl Road is closed at Rock Quarry Road from Oct. 19 through Dec. 17, 2026. Follow the posted detour to the Pearl Road and Rock Quarry Road intersection near Granite Quarry Drive, and allow extra time.

Instructions from City of Raleigh

This site is not the City of Raleigh. For the closure, detour and project list, use raleighnc.gov/closures-and-detours and the Barwell Road Improvement Project page. Follow posted signs in the work zone. This site is not an emergency service. If someone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Raleigh, Pearl Road is closed at Rock Quarry Road through Dec. 17 while contractors move that crossing into line with Barwell Road.

The city says the shutdown runs from Monday, Oct. 19, through Thursday, Dec. 17. Drivers cannot go through the rebuilt intersection until then. Posted detour signs send them to the other Pearl-and-Rock Quarry crossing, near Granite Quarry Drive.

The job sits inside the Barwell Road Improvement Project, which covers Barwell from Rock Quarry to Berkeley Lake Road. On that page the city lists a two-way left-turn lane, sidewalks, a multi-use path, transit work, and realigning Pearl Road. The design it chose puts a 6-foot sidewalk on the east side of Barwell and a 10-foot path on the west side. The published budget is $10.8 million. Construction is underway, with a posted finish in fall 2027.

The News & Observer, writing Monday afternoon, matched the Monday closure and the use of Pearl Road's other end as the way around.

What we don't know yet

The city has not said whether rain or utility conflicts would push the Dec. 17 date. Flagger setups on Barwell can change from day to day.

What happens next

We will update this story if the closures page changes the dates or the detour.

This site is not the City of Raleigh or an emergency service. If someone is in danger, call 911.

Why it matters

Pearl Road, Rock Quarry Road and Barwell Road are everyday routes in southeast Raleigh. Drivers need the city's dates and the posted detour, not a copied map caption.

Updates

  1. Oct 19, 2026, 6:10 PM

    The city closes Pearl Road at Rock Quarry Road through Dec. 17 so contractors can realign the intersection with Barwell Road. Detour traffic uses the other Pearl Road meeting with Rock Quarry, near Granite Quarry Drive.

Sources

  1. City of Raleigh closures and detours (Pearl Road closure begins Oct. 19: Pearl Road-Rock Quarry Road intersection closed Oct. 19 through Dec. 17, 2026, to realign it with Barwell Road; detour to the alternate Pearl Road and Rock Quarry Road intersection near Granite Quarry Drive)

    Official sourcePublished by City of Raleigh · Checked Oct 19, 2026, 6:10 PM

  2. Barwell Road Improvement Project (Pearl Road will close at Rock Quarry Road from Monday, Oct. 19, through Thursday, Dec. 17; Barwell Road from Rock Quarry Road to Berkeley Lake Road; two-way left-turn lanes, sidewalks, multi-use path, transit improvements, Pearl Road realignment; $10.8 million; construction in progress; start summer 2025, completion fall 2027; Alternative 1, 6-foot sidewalk east and 10-foot multi-use path west)

    Official sourcePublished by City of Raleigh · Checked Oct 19, 2026, 6:10 PM

  3. A Raleigh road is closed while the city fixes an off-kilter intersection (The News & Observer, Oct. 19, 2026, 4:27 p.m.: Pearl Road closed at Rock Quarry on Monday for realignment with Barwell Road; detour uses the other end of Pearl Road)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 19, 2026, 6:10 PM