The North Carolina Department of Transportation is moving forward with elevated, double-decker express lanes for Interstate 77 from Uptown Charlotte to South Carolina.
After extensive public feedback, NCDOT says the elevated design is the ‘least impactful’ option. The plan places express lanes above the existing interstate.
Double-deck highways have a complicated history. Mid-century projects sped traffic but often blighted neighborhoods. Seattle and San Francisco’s double-decker highways were built and then later removed elevated freeways after safety concerns and public pushback.
Houston’s double-decker stretch of Interstate 10 expanded capacity but failed to solve long-term congestion, drawing criticism from urban planners.
NCDOT says Charlotte’s proposal differs from earlier projects. Officials argue the elevated option avoids impacts to Frazier Park, Pinewood Cemetery, and neighborhoods like McCrorey Heights. Over the past year, the agency met with residents at nearly 30 small-group meetings and two public forums, reaching about 2,000 people.
Calls to bury I-77 in a tunnel were also reviewed. NCDOT said tunneling would cost billions per mile and require more than $50 million annually to maintain.
“NCDOT’s priority is to deliver transportation improvements in partnership with the region that respect the history of the neighborhoods along this project corridor,” said NCDOT Division 10 Engineer Felix Obregon in a press release. “Community feedback has been critical in shaping this project and the elevated design option balances regional mobility needs with meaningful reductions in neighborhood and environmental impacts. We are grateful to the residents, stakeholders, and community leaders who have taken the time to participate and share their perspectives.”
Construction is now expected to begin in the 2030s.
