Charlotte-area transportation leaders are moving forward with a proposal to expand I-77 toll lanes south of Uptown through a public-private partnership — a plan that continues to draw public scrutiny and concern.
At Wednesday’s Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) meeting, the board began reviewing an indicative term sheet outlining key conditions for a potential partnership between the state and a private developer. The review follows more than a year of evaluations and working group sessions between CRTPO, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and the N.C. Turnpike Authority (NCTA).
The toll lane expansion would be financed, built, and operated by a private firm, as a traditional state-funded model was deemed financially unfeasible. NCDOT’s analysis, presented in August 2024, found that only the public-private option could realistically move forward.
CRTPO first endorsed the comparative analysis in February 2023. By October 2024, the board supported NCDOT proceeding with a P3 delivery model — with the condition that a working group would help shape project objectives and priorities. That group met over the past seven months and finalized key terms in May.
CRTPO board members received the indicative term sheet on June 2, launching a 60-day review period that ends August 1. If no objections are raised, NCDOT remains on schedule to advertise a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in mid-August.
The toll lane project is just one part of a broader conversation. The CRTPO council will also be voting on the release of its draft 2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, which outlines more than 200 future transportation projects across Mecklenburg, Union, and Iredell counties. The list includes proposed light rail and bus rapid transit corridors that would require future local funding.
Public comment on the long-range plan will be open from June 19 to July 19. The CRTPO board meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.
You can read tonight’s full CRTPO agenda here.
