LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — A group that represents hundreds of businesses in the Lake Norman area is against the plan to put toll lanes on Interstate 77 from uptown Charlotte to Mooresville.
Lake Norman's Chamber of Commerce has asked the North Carolina Department of Transportation to stop the contract with I-77 Mobility Partners.
The decision is in response to an outcry by hundreds of business owners.
Leaders at the Chamber said they had no choice but to heed those concerns.
Widening I-77 from Cornelius to Charlotte is something the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce has always supported, but at a meeting Monday, leaders decided the current contract to construct toll lanes is not the way to do it.
"The businesses think this is a bad deal," Chamber President Bill Russell said. "It's bad for the citizens, it's bad for families, bad for businesses."
For weeks now, Chamber leaders watched as dozens of local business owners and city and county leaders rally against the project.
Leaders decided to poll the 1,000 businesses it represents.
"We had 200 out of 1,000 respond, and clearly, 94 percent said they were not in favor of toll lanes," Russell said. "They'd prefer general-purpose lanes."
Those business owners are concerned the toll lanes will cause back-ups and keep customers away.
"There will be two lanes nobody is riding on them and the rest will be congested, same thing," said John Zaravelis, owner of Big Bites Grill.
The Chamber has asked the NCDOT to terminate its contract with I-77 Mobility Partners as soon as possible.
NCDOT said in a statement its "made clear numerous times that NCDOT does not hold the unilateral decision to cancel the project and its disappointed to see Lake Norman call on NCDOT to do that.
Charlotte's Chamber of Commerce and Gov. Pat McCrory's Office said they still support this project that will cost taxpayers $100 million.
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