I-77 South project debate reignites in Charlotte. Here’s where it sits right now.
Just months after the Charlotte region’s transportation board voted to kill support for the Interstate 77 South Toll lane project, talks of community investments that could be brought forth by the controversial project has reignited the debate.
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In the past few weeks residents have held meetings to discuss the hotly contested issue. Following one gathering with community members, North Carolina Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said the project’s funding model allows for up to $300 million in community investments.
“This project presents a rare opportunity to improve mobility while reconnecting communities that have lived with the impacts of the interstate for generations,” Johnson said in a letter to community stakeholders.
[Latest: NCDOT pushes $300 million in community benefits if I-77 tolls project restored]
But some residents have pointed out the letter did not represent an ironclad commitment, nor did it address their main concern: the project’s design.
“For decades, our neighborhood has carried the burden of Interstate 77,” said Sean Langley, president of McCrorey Heights Neighborhood Association, in a statement. “We welcome investments that reconnect our community, improve safety, and expand opportunity.
“But those investments should not require us to accept a transportation project that will create new burdens.”
Talks of revisiting the estimated $4.3 billion project picked up after the state budget signed into law in early July included an amendment that would force Charlotte and other local governments to be on the hook for millions of dollars unless officials recommit to the project. The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization is now expected to make a decision in September.
But as the days dwindle, local officials have said an independent analysis is still needed to answer residents’ concerns.
“I think one of the issues we had was that some people thought we were locked into one particular solution,” Charlotte city council member Ed Driggs said after a recent meeting. “And they didn’t like the fact that it hadn’t been vetted properly with the public.”
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The state Department of Transportation planned to add toll lanes to an 11-mile stretch from uptown to the South Carolina border in order to address congestion. The Charlotte regional transportation board approved a public-private funding agreement in 2024.
It would see the state own the lanes while partnering with a contractor to design, build, finance, operate and maintain them.
The corridor has the state’s highest congestion levels, seeing over 160,000 cars a day, according to NCDOT. The agency estimated that, with or without toll lanes, I-77 would see a 25% increase in traffic by 2050, meaning the roadway will see over 200,000 cars a day.
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But the project faced pushback from the community after designs revealed last year showed homes would be impacted. Residents also felt a lack of transparency from the state in the process.
Charlotte City Council and CRTPO rescinded support for the project in May citing concerns of the design and the impact on communities near the Interstate.
To revive the project and not lose the $600 million committed by NCDOT, the Charlotte regional transportation board would need to undo its rescission by Oct. 5.
The deadline comes through a provision in the state budget that requires any municipality whose representative voted to end the project to repay $60 million that was spent on preliminary design and engineering. The municipalities would be expected to pay the state on a proportional basis.
The regional transportation board has 27 members with 74 votes. Votes are weighted with Charlotte’s vote equal to 31 votes. It means the city has a large say in the decision. It also means it could face the heaviest penalty.
Mecklenburg County, Matthews and Charlotte so far have remained a no on the project.
Monroe and Cornelius have already announced plans to reverse their initial decisions as they face the looming threat. Mint Hill Commissioner Tony Hill, who represents his municipality on CRTPO, told the Observer his board will discuss its position in a future meeting this month.
In his letter to community stakeholders, Johnson said if the project is not approved it will be pulled from the state’s list of approved projects.
“If this project is not going to move forward, I hope to have the allocated funding reprogrammed as soon as possible to meet the growing demand for infrastructure investment throughout North Carolina,” Johnson wrote.
In the last two weeks there have been at least two meetings where residents discussed the project and community investments. One was described as “contentious.”
Several residents who spoke to the Observer said their concerns remain unaddressed.
The Charlotte City Council is expected to discuss the I-77 South toll project in its transportation committee on Monday.
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