I-77 Toll Lanes Finally Open But….
The final stretch of the Interstate 77 Express toll lanes opened over the weekend, but that doesn’t mean the $800 million projects are finished. Work is continuing and the North Carolina Department of Transportation is still penalizing the contractor for missing the Nov. 1 deadline.
Contractor I-77 Mobility Partners opened the final nine miles of the lanes between Huntersville and Uptown Charlotte on Saturday night. But, workers are still paving, including eliminating uneven pavement in some spots. The company says that it could last into the new year, depending on the weather. Also, one of the new toll lanes won’t be done until this weekend, and some noise walls aren’t finished.
That means the contractor is still racking up $30,000 a day in fines for missing the deadline – more than a half-million dollars as of Monday. That’s on top of about $2.4 million in penalties so far for previous contract violations, such as failing to keep some regular lanes open during rush hours and dump truck accidents that caused traffic jams.
Meanwhile, a 25% discount on toll rates has ended. Now, a full 26-mile one-way trip at rush hour will cost you about $6.50. And on Dec. 1, fixed-rate pricing will end and they’ll begin adjusting rates as often as every five minutes.
That’s to make sure traffic in the toll lanes maintains a minimum speed of 48 to 56 miles an hour. The more cars use the lanes, the higher the price could go.
How do you all feel about the tolls in charlotte? Are they necessary?
