Widen I-77 Asks for Injunction on Toll Lane Project

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GRAHAM, NC — A judge will decide by the end of the week whether to put a temporary stop to the plan for toll lanes on I-77 from Uptown Charlotte to Mooresville.

Attorneys for the group Widen I-77 presented their case for a preliminary injunction at a hearing Tuesday in Alamance County.  They argued toll lanes are not in the public interest because the private company Cintra would control the lanes and set toll rates for 50 years.

NC DOT and I-77 Mobility Partners say it does benefit the public because without toll lanes, the interstate wouldn’t be widened for another 15 to 20 years.

The hearing lasted more than four hours.  About two dozen members of the group Widen I-77 were in attendance.  As taxpayers, they say, they don’t want to see their roads in private hands.  Now, an NC DOT attorney didn’t have any comment after the hearing, but he told a judge toll lanes are in the public’s interest.

“The fear-mongering says, ‘Well, you either take this or it’s going to be at least 10 or 15 years before you get any widening, hahahaha.’  That’s not okay, your honor,” said Widen I-77 attorney Matt Arnold.

“They’re experts in construction of the projects,” said Special Deputy Attorney General for Transportation Scott Slusser.  “They’re experts in estimating those projects.  The DOT is the expert agency when it comes to determining the best solution.”

NC DOT estimates tolls could be as high as $21 a day for commuters who drive the 27-mile stretch from Charlotte to Mooresville.