Charlotte leaders discuss timeline, cost of possible I-77 toll lanes ahead of CRTPO vote

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — Area leaders are exploring the possibility of adding toll lanes to Interstate 77 in south Charlotte.

City council members have already approved the next steps. However, the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners voted against the project 4-5 Monday night.

The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) is set to vote on Wednesday night presumably without Mecklenburg County backing.

Backups on I-77 are a common sight for those who travel the road frequently. In an effort to alleviate some of the congestion, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is looking at possibly partnering with a private company to create toll lanes. But some people have reservations after the controversy surrounding the express lanes in northern Mecklenburg County.

“I think everybody understands the situation on I-77, right,” said Councilman Ed Driggs, who represents the council on the CRTPO. “We can’t ignore that. We can’t allow that to continue to get worse.”

It’s expected to cost $3.7 billion to add toll lanes to an 11-mile stretch of I-77 from the South Carolina line to uptown Charlotte. To fund it, local and state transportation leaders are looking at what’s called a private-public partnership. The NCDOT would put out a bid for companies willing to fund and complete the construction.

“They would collect the tolls,” said Driggs. “They would receive the tolls from the lanes and with that money, they would repay themselves for the cost of building the lanes.”

After a certain agreed-upon time period, the state would start collecting the toll money to maintain and improve roads. NCDOT has $600 million set aside for the project. If it isn’t used soon, officials could reallocate it.

“The estimated cost for the project is going up at $100 million a year, which is one reason we feel a certain urgency to protect the $600 million investment,” said Driggs.

While many are excited about what this could mean for mitigating traffic, others have concerns.

“We’re very mindful of the fact that the experience we have with I-77 North made a lot of people unhappy,” said Driggs. “We’re not going to do that again.”

If and when state transportation leaders find a company willing to build the lanes, leaders estimate it would take about eight to 10 years to complete. In comparison, if they wait on state funding, which likely won’t happen because of how expensive this project will be, it would take 15 to 20 years.

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