North Carolina’s $3.2 Billion I-77 Project Meets Resistance From Locals

State officials want to add express lanes on I-77 South from Charlotte to South Carolina. At $3.2 billion, it would be North Carolina's costliest road project yet.

The changes would push into Charlotte's Wesley Heights area. More than 160,000 vehicles pass through each day on this stretch. Local residents have started to push back against these plans.

"I'm thinking about pollution, I'm thinking about noise and I'm thinking about my property value," said Emily Sutton per Queen City News.

State road officials point to better safety as the key reason for changes. "Improving safety is a number one priority for NCDOT," said Brett Canipe, NCDOT's western deputy chief engineer. "Anytime you have a congested corridor, you're going to have additional accidents."

The work aims to cut down on traffic jams and crashes by fixing road links. Yet neighborhood groups want different plans that would keep their streets intact.

"We think there should be other alternatives that could include using bypasses or looking at a small segment of Charlotte going underground," said Shannon Hughes, who leads the Wesley Heights Community Association.

A wide road splits Wesley Heights from the city center. Hughes spoke about the impact: "We've worked very hard the last 20 years trying to get this neighborhood close and cohesive, and we finally achieved that. Things like this deteriorate our morale."

Carly Swanson, who runs NCDOT's new projects, backed the plan. She said people asked for express lanes in past studies. The state wants to limit harm to homes and shops in the area.

Building would start after the plans come out this fall. The state will ask for public input before moving ahead.