Local

Advisory group for I-77 tolls in the making

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some residents upset over the Interstate 77 toll lanes could soon have a say in their future. The state is creating a group of people to discuss possible changes to the project.

Commissioner Pat Cotham will represent Mecklenburg County.

County Commissioner Jim Puckett came up with the idea to form the group after months of meeting with Gov. Roy Cooper to discuss tolls.

Puckett will also be on the board as an at-large member. He nominated Cotham for the position.

North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary James Trogdon and Cooper formed the I-77 advisory group, which will be composed of representatives from towns surrounding I-77, in addition to representatives from Mecklenburg and Iredell and four local chambers of commerce.

Each body is being asked to appoint one person to the group by Dec. 4. The person can be an elected official or a citizen.

The group will meet likely twice a month for three months to go over potential solutions to the I-77 tolls project.

Some options the group will likely review include completing the project and removing the toll lanes or converting certain sections into free lanes.

Puckett said Cooper's team seems sincere in wanting to make changes.

“He and Secretary Trogdon have been very clear,” Puckett said. “They would have never have gotten into this and they would like to find a good way out of it.”

The state is studying how much each of the options will cost, and there's no timeline for a decision.

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