Elevated Toll Lanes Chosen for I-77 Expansion in North Carolina
A major infrastructure decision has been made by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT), which announced on Wednesday its intention to elevate the toll lanes for a section of the Interstate 77 express lanes project through uptown.
The $3.2 billion I-77 reconstruction project had two potential designs. One proposal involved constructing the new lanes at the same level as the existing highway, which would have expanded the road’s footprint. The alternative and chosen plan is to elevate the toll lanes above the current interstate.
The DOT favored the elevated lanes to significantly reduce the impact on the surrounding areas, including McCrorey Heights and Wesley Heights, and to preserve Frazier Park and Pinewood Cemetery.
Despite the DOT’s decision, some community advocates had suggested alternative solutions, such as not expanding the highway or considering an underground route, similar to projects in Boston and Seattle. Concerns were raised that elevated lanes might detract from the area’s aesthetics and increase noise levels.
The DOT deemed the underground option financially unviable, leading to criticism from groups like Sustain Charlotte. Shannon Binns, the executive director, expressed concerns over the community engagement process, stating, “Most of the community engagement they cite occurred before either of these designs were made public. You can’t meaningfully weigh in on impacts, tradeoffs, or alternatives if you’re not told what’s actually being proposed.”
The state plans to collaborate with a private developer for the construction and management of the toll lanes. This expansion is set to be one of the state’s most challenging and costly road projects. The new toll lanes will extend from uptown to the South Carolina border, eventually integrating with existing express lanes on I-77 north and soon-to-open toll lanes on I-485.
