1 dead in I-485 wreck in Charlotte, Medic says. Highway now open again
A person has died in a wreck that closed a busy stretch of Interstate 485 in Charlotte on Friday morning, Medic said.
The wreck happened around 7:20 a.m. near the Oakdale Road exit, according to the state Department of Transportation.
“I-485 outer between Brookshire Boulevard and Oakdale Road is currently closed,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said on X. “Please avoid the area and seek alternate routes.”
The highway reopened by 11 a.m.
“Expected impact to traffic is High,” according to DriveNC.gov, the state’s real-time map of road closures.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck, CMPD said. No information as to the cause was released Friday morning.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 9:01 AM.
Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer