Despite intense opposition from residents, Charlotte City Council reversed course Monday and restored support for the controversial I-77 South toll lanes.
Council voted 7-4 following an hours-long special meeting packed with opponents. Chants of “No More Tolls” eventually led officials to remove several people.
Councilmembers Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo provided the key votes needed for the reversal. Both had voted in May to withdraw Charlotte’s support for the project.
The proposed project would add roughly 11 miles of toll lanes between Uptown and the South Carolina state line.
Supporters say the lanes could provide more reliable travel as Charlotte continues growing. Opponents have raised concerns about tolling, displacement and impacts on west Charlotte neighborhoods.
However, the political stakes changed after Charlotte withdrew its support. State lawmakers passed legislation requiring local governments to repay certain NCDOT costs if the project remained blocked. NCDOT has identified nearly $70 million in expenses tied to the project.
State officials also offered up to $300 million in community investments along the corridor. Those benefits could include infrastructure, neighborhood improvements and relocation assistance.
Graham and Mayo had pushed for legally enforceable commitments surrounding those benefits before changing their positions.
Questions about the financial pressure also surfaced before Monday’s vote.
A legal memo released through Sustain Charlotte challenged several assumptions presented to council. Attorney Megan Kimball argued Charlotte might not be responsible for the entire $70 million.
She calculated Charlotte’s potential share at roughly $29.3 million based on its weighted CRTPO voting percentage. The memo also questioned whether transportation sales-tax revenue could cover those costs.
Sustain Charlotte strongly criticized Monday’s reversal afterward. The group said council had yielded to pressure from state lawmakers and interests supporting the project.
Renee Johnson, J.D. Mazuera Arias, LaWana Mayfield and Victoria Watlington voted against restoring support.
The decision now moves the fight back to the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization.
CRTPO is scheduled to vote Wednesday, with Charlotte’s representative supporting the project.
