NCDOT Opens Engagement Center for I-77 Toll Lane Project, Revises Designs

The N.C. Department of Transportation opened a Community Engagement Center to address public backlash over the $3.2 billion I-77 South toll lane project. This facility marks the first time the state agency has set up a feedback center for a single project.

State officials also released revised designs that aim to reduce impacts on homes, parks, and cemeteries along the 11-mile corridor between Brookshire Freeway and the South Carolina line. The new plans raise lanes in the Uptown area instead of widening at-grade. This creates space for retaining walls between buildings and the highway.

"There's a very collaborative path forward for this," state transportation board chair Tony Lathrop said Monday, according to Axios.

The updated design no longer affects cemeteries or homes north of the John Belk Freeway. No properties will be taken in McCrorey Heights, Biddleville, Lincoln Heights, or the West End.

Maps show a row of homes on Wilmore's Spruce Street would be demolished. NCDOT staff confirmed fewer than 100 homes would be removed but did not provide an exact number.

The department says the expansion is needed to improve safety and travel times on one of the state's most congested corridors. I-77's crash rate is 2.8 times higher than the statewide average for urban interstates. Crashes? Five each day. Fatalities average five per year.

The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization approved this project in 2014 and 2024. In recent months, some officials have opposed the plan after seeing design effects and hearing complaints from residents. CRTPO has discussed whether it can legally revisit its vote and pause or cancel the project, but no action has been taken.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles cited construction jobs as a benefit at the opening. She acknowledged the city's history of harming Black communities.

The design is 10-15% complete right now. NCDOT must start a federal process to work with homeowners when the design reaches 65% completion. The department is working with five designers to narrow the project's footprint.

Plans include bike and pedestrian amenities at interchanges and greenways. In June, the department will request proposals from private firms. Construction won't start until the 2030s.

The center is located at 1023 W. Morehead St., Suite 150, off I-77. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. People can drop in or schedule appointments by calling 1-800-254-0498.