Group could send proposed I-77 toll lanes to N.C. transportation officials

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A significant step forward in a plan to build more toll lanes along Interstate 77 could come Wednesday night.

The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization is set to discuss the proposal, which would put toll lanes from uptown Charlotte south to the South Carolina border, during Wednesday night’s meeting.

The stretch of I-77 in south Charlotte near the Tyvola Bridge is clogged with drivers headed into uptown during the morning commute.

To relieve the congestion, Cintra sent an unsolicited proposal to build new toll lanes along I-77 from uptown to the S.C. border.

Related: More I-77 toll lanes a possibility as other options present problems

Last week, Mecklenburg County commissioners voted to continue studying the idea.

The CRTPO could vote at Wednesday’s meeting to send the idea to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

It’s a hotly debated topic for a few reasons. One is the toll lanes on the northern part of I-77 took a long time to build and the construction was a nightmare for drivers.

A second reason is that the company behind those tolls, Cintra, is the same one proposing the new ones.

Third, some leaders were not happy about what they said was a lack of transparency in the contract.

NCDOT estimates the new toll lanes would cost more than $2 billion.

WBTV will be monitoring the CRTPO meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center. Download the free WBTV News app for updates from the meeting.

Copyright 2022 WBTV. All rights reserved.