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NCDOT projects delayed due to funding issues

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Several North Carolina Department of Transportation projects will be delayed for up to three years.

[ALSO READ: Road-widening project in Matthews delayed]

Funding issues are the driving factor behind the delays.

"It's an issue we're facing across the state right now due to a couple of different circumstances," spokeswoman Jen Thompson said.

Around 50 projects are on hold in the Charlotte area, including the widening of Interstate 77 from the state line to uptown Charlotte.

"Two would involve widening Mallard Creek Road. There's a second on Highway 73 that could be delayed to 2023," Thompson said.

NCDOT employees said the department spent more than projected on storm damage over the past few years. The department budgets for $66 million a year but had to spend close to $200 million in the last several years.

Another budget cut comes from a legal settlement. The department said it will pay out over $300 million to homeowners after the state Supreme Court ruled the DOT's practice of reserving private land for future roads without buying it first was unconstitutional.

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