Just weeks after local leaders officially killed the controversial I-77 South toll lane project, a new proposal in Raleigh could leave Charlotte and other municipalities with a hefty bill.
A draft amendment by the NC General Assembly would require the tax payers of Charlotte to reimburse the North Carolina Department of Transportation for planning and design costs already spent.
According to NCDOT, roughly $60 million had been spent before the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) voted in May to cancel the $3.2 billion project.
Repayment amounts would be based on each municipality’s voting share within CRTPO. Because Charlotte controls approximately 41% of the weighted vote, the city could potentially face a bill of more than $24 million if the proposal becomes law.
The amendment follows a series of votes that ended the project. Charlotte City Council voted 6-5 to rescind support for the toll lanes, and CRTPO later approved a supermajority vote officially canceling the project.
The proposed toll lanes would have added capacity along an 11-mile stretch of I-77 between Uptown Charlotte and the South Carolina state line. Supporters argued the project would reduce congestion, while opponents cited concerns about tolls, neighborhood impacts, and project transparency.
When the project was canceled, NCDOT also warned the region could lose approximately $700 million in transportation funding tied to the project and related allocations.
The proposed amendment has not yet been formally filed, and its future remains uncertain. If approved, however, Charlotte and other local governments could be required to pay millions for a project they ultimately voted to stop.
