NCDOT Presents Options to Charlotte City Council on Widening I-77
Earlier this year, the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) Board requested the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) prepare a comparative analysis between a traditional toll and a Public Private Partnership (P3) delivery for additional lanes for the eleven-mile segment of I-77 running through the City of Charlotte and to the border of South Carolina. Results were presented by representatives of NCDOT at the August 21, 2024, Board Meeting (Agenda, Minutes - item 14, pages 5-8).
During last night’s Charlotte City Council business meeting, an update was provided by NCDOT containing highlights of its NCDOT: I-77 South Express Lanes Supplemental Report and the next steps were discussed.
Some of the details of the project along with recommendations include:
- New managed lanes/express lanes to be constructed next to existing lanes
- 11 miles of I-77 widening
- The project scope is I-277 to the South Carolina State Line
- Total Project Cost: $3.2 - 3.7 billion
- NCDOT suggests a P3 engagement is currently the only financially feasible delivery method for the construction of the project.
- Also, crash rates for this segment of I-77 are two and a half times higher than the statewide average for urban interstates.