What’s happening here? Make sure you read to the end:
In an earlier edition of Two For Tuesday, we reported that the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) Board had requested that the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) prepare a comparative analysis to compare a traditional toll alongside 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 south to the border of South Carolina. Those results were presented by representatives of NCDOT at the August 21, 2024, Board Meeting (Agenda, Minutes - item 14, pages 5-8).
During a recent 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.
Now, we have this to report:
Last Monday night, the City Council voted unanimously to make a formal recommendation to the CRTPO that it move forward on consideration of a P3 engagement for the future expansion of I-77 South.
The next night, the Mecklenburg County Commissioners met and took a vote by a slim 5-4 margin to recommend an opposite course of action.
In the end, the CRTPO voted overwhelmingly to proceed with further consideration of a public-private partnership arrangement and following additional discussion and negotiation, the project will be sent out for bid next year.