Early emails about I-77 tolls show concern from officials

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — People against the Interstate 77 toll lanes will go over a consultant's review of the controversial project. They will meet on Thursday.

Reporter Joe Bruno dug through new emails that point to concern with the company building the lanes early on.

When a toll project in Texas owned by the same company building the express lanes near Charlotte went bankrupt, former Gov. Pat McCrory's team was ready to respond.

In records obtained by Channel 9, the communications director Josh Ellis emailed former Secretary Nick Tennyson and staff attorneys.

Ellis proposed releasing a statement saying, "We have serious concerns about the financial viability of Cintra and the current optional toll lanes project."

But emails show that statement was rejected by Tennyson who called it "way over the top on Cintra viability and "way too strong."

Tennyson traveled to Texas the next week to meet with Department of Transportation officials about the project. A report from that trip was never produced.

Emails show North Carolina state Sen. Jeff Tarte encouraged Tennyson to meet with anti-toll advocates while in the Lone Star State.

It's unclear if that meeting ever happened and emails sent by Tennyson to the executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation mention only a meeting with members of his team and a self-guided tour of the failed project.

For the most part, McCrory didn't leave a digital footprint about tolls.

He did forward one ominous editorial to his general counsel with the headline, “Toll contract will be toxic in November.”

There were no emails involving Gov. Roy Cooper, who as attorney general at the time, had to review the contract before it was signed.

Cox Media Group