{"id":314,"date":"2026-05-18T11:04:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T11:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=314"},"modified":"2026-05-18T11:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T11:04:12","slug":"at-i-77-meetings-charlotte-residents-feel-divided-over-contentious-toll-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=314","title":{"rendered":"At I-77 meetings, Charlotte residents feel divided over contentious toll project"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlotte residents expressed mixed feelings after the state hosted several community meetings on the controversial Interstate 77 South toll lane<\/a> project last week. Some felt informed while others were skeptical and left with far more questions than answers.<\/p>\n

Read more Woman threatens to kill 11-year-old, then targets boy with her car, NC police say<\/a><\/p>\n

The North Carolina Department of Transportation hosted about five meetings last week<\/a> regarding the design and acquisition of the $3.2 billion I-77 project. The meetings are part of NCDOT\u2019s attempt to increase engagement<\/a> on the toll lane project amid residents\u2019 concerns.<\/p>\n

Some meetings were developer listening sessions, where representatives of the four shortlisted contractors heard what residents wanted to get out of the project, including protections for businesses and residents.<\/p>\n

And on Thursday, NCDOT held a right-of-way meeting with Wilmore neighborhood residents. With the communtiy\u2019s proximity to I-77, and based on the project\u2019s current design, about 29 homes could be acquired through eminent domain to make way for the interstate toll lanes.<\/p>\n

West Charlotte resident Vic Williams attended a developer listening session Tuesday. He felt more at ease about the project and hoped NCDOT would take into consideration what residents discussed. \u201cI feel like they gave as much information as they realistically could,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n

But Will Wooten didn\u2019t feel the same way. Wooten has lived in Wilmore for about six years and if the project started today, his home would be taken.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot of good feedback in the room,\u201d Wooten said. \u201cBut where does it go? Yes, they\u2019re listening. You can listen all day. But what are you going to do to take action and do what people want for the greater good?\u201d<\/p>\n

To address congestion and crashes on I-77, NCDOT plans to add toll lanes to an 11-mile<\/a> stretch from uptown to the South Carolina border.<\/p>\n

I-77 South, according to NCDOT, has the state\u2019s highest congestion levels, seeing over 160,000 cars a day. The agency estimates that, with or without toll lanes, I-77 will see a 25% increase in traffic by 2050, meaning the roadway will see over 200,000 cars a day.<\/p>\n

But some residents strongly opposed the project, saying it would cause too much damage to historically Black neighborhoods<\/a> that have borne the cost of growth before. Several parks and greenways<\/a> will be affected by the project, including the complete removal of Wilmore Park.<\/p>\n

The project remains in limbo.<\/p>\n

Last Monday, Charlotte City Council voted 6-5<\/a> to revoke its approval of the public-private partnership funding for the $3.2 billion toll lane project. The board also approved a resolution<\/a> requesting a deeper analysis into the design of the project and how transportation could be improved in the region.<\/p>\n

The decision will be presented to the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, which looks at urban transportation improvements in Iredell, Mecklenburg and Union counties.<\/p>\n

If the organization acknowledges Charlotte\u2019s decision to rescind its support<\/a>, CRTPO could revote on the funding agreement as soon as its next meeting on May 20.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if NCDOT would consider the project any further if funding was revoked.<\/p>\n

NCDOT allocated $600 million for it, but told CRTPO the project was too expensive and wouldn\u2019t move forward without a private partnership. The contractor would cover the $3.2 billion cost.<\/p>\n

If CRTPO follows Charlotte\u2019s lead, the $600 million would go back to the state and be redistributed to other projects, NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Goodiwn said. And that would mean the end of the I-77S toll saga, for now at least.<\/p>\n

Another point of contention with residents has been NCDOT\u2019s engagement and transparency. It\u2019s something NCDOT has been working on.<\/p>\n

At Tuesday\u2019s developer listening session, about 30 people attended, along with elected officials and contractor representatives. Residents provided feedback on design, quality of life, reconnecting corridors and economic benefits.<\/p>\n

Williams was interested to see the westside be reconnected again, after the highway splintered the uptown neighborhoods. Those reconnections include bike and pedestrian walkways, along with greenspaces on capped portions of the project.<\/p>\n

Read more What happens next in the Comey \u201886 47\u2019 case? The key dates and decisions ahead<\/a><\/p>\n

He\u2019d like to see some of the greenspaces be geared toward youth, such as a recreation center.<\/p>\n

Meko McCarthy left Tuesday\u2019s meeting feeling informed, but wanted NCDOT to protect the residents along the corridor. She also wants NCDOT to find new ways to reach residents.<\/p>\n

The community\u2019s voice, McCarthy said, has already led to some changes, including NCDOT\u2019s elevated design for the project, which preserves homes north of the John Belk Freeway. If more people come out to speak, McCarthy said, more change can occur.<\/p>\n

\u201cGround game is important,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cI want to see more, learn more and the only way to do that is through more meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo more,\u201d Williams said. \u201cContinue to do more outreach because that\u2019s the only way people will be comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

But even with the outreach, Wilmore residents at Thursday\u2019s meeting had more questions.<\/p>\n

The meeting gave an overview of residents\u2019 recourse if their homes are directly impacted by construction. But there\u2019s no federal laws protecting residents\u2019 quality of life.<\/p>\n

Laura Pepper, a 10-year resident of Wilmore, said people were drawn to the neighborhood because of its walkability and community feel. All that could now be threatened by the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see a lot of people out walking, we see a lot of people visiting neighborhood locations\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are used to that kind of interaction. (The neighborhood) becoming just more of a pass-through is, again, disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sentiment could be felt throughout the meeting as residents questioned the possibility of the project\u2019s footprint expanding, and the impact on property values for homes that would be left standing.<\/p>\n

Pepper said it was always going to be a challenging conversation when it starts with some people\u2019s homes are going to be taken. \u201cWhen you\u2019re making decisions that have this long-term of an impact I would like to see a more thoughtful approach than what I saw today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Wooten has questioned NCDOT\u2019s thoughtfulness as well.<\/p>\n

Wooten has spoken to NCDOT a few times regarding I-77 sounds reverberating through his home on Spruce Street. But they never told him his house wouldn\u2019t be there in the future.<\/p>\n

Wooten was glad to learn of Charlotte\u2019s decision to cancel its approval of the funding. And like a bad business agreement, if NCDOT and the city have to start I-77 plans over, they should, he said.<\/p>\n

If the project funding is cancelled, he\u2019d like to see NCDOT focus more on mass transit options.<\/p>\n

Wooten said he\u2019s become more resigned to the fact that he might lose his home and that the sentiment comes from a place of privilege. He would probably leave the city if that happened.<\/p>\n

But he\u2019d want to do see if the project could still benefit the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s better pedestrian access or if a park goes where what remains of my house, that\u2019s what I want to happen,\u201d Wooten said. \u201cBut I\u2019m still skeptical that our words are being taken to heart, because how many levels above and beyond are making the decisions?…<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to make these decisions and do things without meeting people like us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Dispute in Charlotte subdivision ends with one person dead, CMPD says<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charlotte residents split after NCDOT meetings on I-77 South toll lanes; Wilmore faces possible home acquisitions and park removal amid funding uncertainty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nAt I-77 meetings, Charlotte residents feel divided over contentious toll project - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=314\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"At I-77 meetings, Charlotte residents feel divided over contentious toll project - 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