A project that would add toll lanes to Interstate 77 in North Carolina has hit a major snag.
The I-77 South toll lane project, currently in the planning and development phases, aims to upgrade an 11-mile stretch of the interstate from the South Carolina state line to Interstate 277 in Charlotte. The proposed improvements would include converting the current high-occupancy vehicle, dubbed HOV, lanes into tolled express lanes.
The proposed project has entered a holding pattern.
On Monday, May 11, the Charlotte City Council voted 6-5 to rescind its support for the toll lane project. The council’s vote comes after community backlash from residents who say their homes would be affected by the project’s construction, as well as from sustainability advocates who claim that widening the highway will create more problems than it solves.
The council has also requested a vote from the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, asking that it rescind its support for the project.
Additionally, the council approved a resolution requesting that the North Carolina Department of Transportation pause the proposed toll project for due diligence and to reevaluate it while considering community benefits.
Following the vote, the state department of transportation issued a statement saying it was aware of the vote by the City Council and that the regional planning organization has “reaffirmed support several times since 2014.” The department added that by law, it could not remove the project until the planning organization removed it from its plan.
“It’s important to remember that this is a regional project, and other municipalities, in addition to Charlotte, will need to weigh in,” the state DOT said. “(The North Carolina DOT) stands ready to deliver a project for this growing part of the state that helps ease congestion and gridlock and includes community feedback.”
The department said it has responded to community feedback and hosted several listening sessions on the project, including one in Charlotte with the project’s developers shortly before the council’s vote.
“Our community engagement center remains open and we continue to welcome feedback and questions,” the department said. “No matter how this situation moves forward, (the state DOT) is committed to working alongside the community to determine the best path.” LL
Credit: Source link
