I-77 South Express Toll Lanes Project
Coverage (8 articles)
What Charlotte Got in Writing on I-77
Eight days before the agreement was signed, the city's lawyer told council no agreement existed yet.
CRTPO Revives I-77 South Toll Lanes; Two Mayors Resign
The regional transportation board reinstated the $4.3 billion I-77 South toll lane project Wednesday, with a $69.5 million state bill hanging over any town that kept voting no. Matthews and Mecklenburg County voted no anyway, and the mayors of Matthews and Davidson resigned from the board afterward.
Charlotte's I-77 Bill Is $69,577,547.67
The state's claim against Charlotte for walking away from the I-77 South toll lanes is $69,577,547.67, and the money would come out of the fund the city has already programmed for its next affordable housing and public facilities bonds. Council votes Monday on whether to reinstate support, which would erase the bill. The city's own two figures for Charlotte's share have not been reconciled on the record.
I-77 Toll Lanes: Charlotte Unmoved, $60 Million Disputed
At its last meeting before the September 23 reinstatement vote, CRTPO heard that Charlotte's position on the I-77 South toll lanes is unchanged, that the alternatives analysis cannot finish in time, and that the $60 million repayment figure is disputed by the county's account of NCDOT's own spending.
Charlotte Eyes DOJ Model Cities Deal; Some Terms Come Later
Charlotte has until September 1 to seek a share of nearly $300 million through DOJ’s Model Cities Initiative. Applying requires local signatures, federal collaboration and an immigration certification before certain award terms are available.
I-77 Study Would Take Months; Charlotte's Deadline Is Oct. 5
Charlotte has until October 5 to reverse itself on the I-77 South toll lanes or absorb a penalty the legislature wrote in July: a state bill the city attorney puts at $64 million, a freeze on its street maintenance money, and a block on every new state road project inside the city limits. Council members said they could not decide without an independent review. Staff told them Monday that one cannot be finished in time.
Revive the I-77 Toll Lanes or Repay $64M, State Budget Says
The regional board that killed the I-77 South toll lanes in May will vote September 23 on bringing them back, under a state budget that told the governments that opposed them to reinstate the project or repay $64 million. The count starts with Charlotte, which controls more of the board's vote than any other member and hasn't said which way it will go.
Raleigh Wants $60 Million Back for Killing I-77 Toll Lanes
A bill in Raleigh, written by Sen. Vickie Sawyer, would require the Charlotte-area governments that voted to kill the I-77 South toll lanes in May to repay the state an estimated $60 million, freeze the decision until 2027, and withhold state highway money until it is paid. Mecklenburg commissioners, briefed June 16, called it a retaliatory power grab.
Other coverage in the Mercury Local network
I-77 Toll Lane Fight Returns, and Mecklenburg Has a Vote
The I-77 toll lanes the regional board killed in May are up for a revival vote on September 23, under a state budget with a $64 million penalty attached. Mecklenburg County is one of the governments deciding. Here is the short version for south Charlotte.
I-77 Toll Lanes: Your Town Has a Vote on Reviving Them
Under the July 7 state budget, governments that voted against the project had until roughly October 5 to reverse course or repay the state $64 million.
I-77 Toll Lanes Return for a Vote: What Uptown Should Know
Charlotte holds 31 of the board's roughly 73 weighted votes, more than any other member, and says its position is unchanged.
What the New I-77 Bill Means for South Charlotte's Commute
The bill now moving through Raleigh does not change the I-77 South commute: it freezes the killed toll project until 2027 and hands the region an estimated $60 million invoice. What it means for south Charlotte drivers, and what Mecklenburg commissioners said about it.
I-77 Repayment Bill Could Reach Small Towns Around Charlotte
The I-77 repayment bill would hit the small towns south of Charlotte too: the governments whose CRTPO representatives voted to rescind could each owe a share of $60 million, and Monroe's mayor, who opposed rescinding, is upset his city might be on the hook.
Raleigh I-77 Bill Would Charge the Region for the Toll Fight
A Raleigh bill would charge the Charlotte-area governments that killed the I-77 South toll lanes an estimated $60 million, and the corridor at the center of it begins at uptown's edge, where earlier roadbuilding already cut through historically Black neighborhoods once.