CHARLOTTE — North Carolina Department of Transportation officials unveiled new designs and a new way for residents to provide feedback on the I-77 toll lane project on Monday. The state is planning to put in express lanes from the South Carolina line to just outside Uptown Charlotte. The lanes will be elevated from Morehead Street to where the current I-77 toll lane project sits.
[ READ MORE: NCDOT opens information center in Charlotte for I-77 toll lanes project ]
On Monday, NCDOT said McCrorey Heights, Biddleville, and Wesley Heights will no longer see properties impacted by construction. The disclosure was made at an opening ceremony for NCDOT’s new community engagement center. The center is located at 1023 W. Morehead Street, Suite 150, and allows residents to pop in to see the latest designs and offer feedback.
“It gives an opportunity to speak to the issues and at the same time for them address the issues,” resident Rickey Hall said after talking to NCDOT for 30 minutes at the center. “We will see where we go from there.”
The new designs show that no cemeteries will be impacted by construction. Some homes will still be impacted in Wilmore and along West Boulevard, but nothing has been finalized.
Mayor Vi Lyles said on Monday that the changes are a direct response to the community outreach so far.
“My goal would be that we have that same kind of camaraderie and that we’re doing something that everybody can feel good about, and I believe that we can do that,” Lyles said.
Lyles and several council members were on hand Monday morning for a news conference. They said they recognize how Charlotte has a history of urban renewal projects, which impact neighborhoods. Those officials said they are determined to learn from that history.
“Brooklyn helped shape Charlotte, and the families came there, helped build the strength of this community today, and that’s why history must be followed,” Lyles said.
NCDOT officials said there is an average of five crashes daily on this part of I-77 where toll lanes are slated. That’s about 2.8 times higher than average.
Visitors can make virtual and in-person appointments online or by calling 1‑800‑254‑0498. Drop-in appointments are also available.
VIDEO: NCDOT warns of loss of funds; toll critics imply threat
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