NCDOT pushes Charlotte leaders to build I-77 toll lanes from Uptown to SC
The fight over toll lanes is back in the spotlight.
For years, we've reported a proposal that's in the works to build toll lanes on Interstate 77 from the Brookshire to the South Carolina border.
Now, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is pushing local leaders to make a deal.
The issue here is timing; if they wait, building the lanes is going to cost a lot more and they'll take longer to be built. So transportation leaders are once again asking elected officials to consider letting a private company build a toll lane project on I-77.
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Charlotte-area leaders discuss I-77 toll lanes to South Carolina
Proposal submitted to state for express lanes on I-77 south of Charlotte
NCDOT signs contract for I77 toll lane project
The state estimates it will cost about $3.7 billion for this project. They said each year of delay, it will cost another $100 million because of inflation.
I-77, of course, already has toll lanes from Uptown to Mooresville. Those lanes are managed by I-77 Mobility Partners, a private company that keeps all of the toll profits.
NCDOT said that this type of partnership makes the project more financially feasible.
You might remember in 2022, I-77 Mobility Partners put forward an unsolicited bid to build the lanes. That didn't go anywhere.
The state said adding lanes with no tolls to the interstate won't provide long-term relief. As traffic continues to grow, the new lanes would return to the same congestion level as before due to induced demand.
>> Channel 9′s Joe Bruno will have a full report on Eyewitness News starting at 5 p.m.
