After Charlotte leaders and residents overwhelmingly rejected new toll lanes on Interstate 77 South, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is making another push for the controversial project by highlighting up to $300 million in potential community investments if it moves forward.
In a new letter to local leaders, NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson said the project could deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in additional investments aimed at offsetting impacts along the I-77 South corridor.
The proposed funding would go beyond transportation improvements. Instead, NCDOT says it could support neighborhood redevelopment, affordable housing, parks, pedestrian connections, workforce development and small businesses.
One of the agency’s biggest promises focuses on economic development. NCDOT said the project could support about 5,700 jobs each year during construction while directing contracts toward local and small businesses along the corridor.
The department also pledged to reduce property impacts whenever possible. Homeowners affected by the project would receive just compensation, while renters would receive relocation assistance. Officials also suggested developers could help fund new housing near impacted neighborhoods through local partnerships.
NCDOT also says the project presents a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reconnect west Charlotte neighborhoods divided by Interstate 77 decades ago. Proposed improvements include cap-and-cover sections that create new green space above the interstate, expanded pedestrian and bicycle connections, public gathering spaces and additional recreational amenities.
The letter also promises investments to improve parks, greenways, environmental protections, water quality and noise mitigation. In addition, NCDOT said it wants to help address west Charlotte’s long-standing food desert while improving access to jobs, services and safer intersections.
To address criticism over the project, the department pledged greater transparency throughout the design and construction process. Officials say they would continue public engagement, establish measurable community goals and publicly report progress.
Despite the new proposal, the project still faces major hurdles.
Charlotte leaders and the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization previously rejected plans to expand toll lanes on I-77 South, leaving the project without a viable funding path.
Johnson said state law requires NCDOT to eventually remove the project from the State Transportation Improvement Program if no funding solution is approved. However, the Board of Transportation plans to delay that decision until after the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization revisits the proposal during its September meeting.
Until then, NCDOT says it hopes continued discussions could identify a path forward that balances transportation needs with community priorities.
