CHARLOTTE – City officials are weighing whether to restore support for the I-77 South toll-lane project as NCDOT says Charlotte could owe $59 million to $69 million if opposition continues.
City staff said the potential bill could require a 0.1-cent property-tax increase or reductions in future bond packages for affordable housing and public facilities, according to Axios Charlotte. Staff also said Charlotte would contest the full estimate because NCDOT is counting expenses dating to 2018, while the city argues its responsibility should begin in 2024, when it supported the public-private delivery plan.
The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization is scheduled to vote Sept. 23 on whether to restore support for the project. Charlotte controls 31 of the board’s 74 votes, making the city’s position central to the regional decision.
NCDOT says CRTPO rescinded support for the public-private partnership on May 20. The agency described that financing structure as the project’s only financially viable delivery method and said it would remove the project from the 2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program.
The proposed project would upgrade 11 miles of I-77 between the South Carolina state line and I-277/N.C. 16 in Charlotte. NCDOT estimates the total cost at $3.2 billion, including up to $600 million in state funding. Plans include express lanes, reconstructed interchanges and bridges, and new access points and connectors.
NCDOT has also offered up to $300 million in community benefits if the project moves forward, Axios reported. City officials have said any commitments should be specific and enforceable before they rely on them in the vote.
The September decision therefore carries two separate financial consequences: a potential repayment claim against Charlotte if opposition continues and the possible return of a multibillion-dollar transportation project if regional support is restored.