CHARLOTTE, NC — Despite pleas not to from residents and local elected leaders, the state DOT has signed the contract for the I-77 toll lane project. Construction will start this summer, with the project scheduled for completion by 2018.
The state reached a financial close with I-77 Mobility Partners Wednesday, securing the funding for the public-private partnership. NC DOT is investing $95 million in the project, but many feel the money won’t help relieve traffic problems.
“We’re going to take it to court,” said Davidson resident and member of Widen I-77 Vince Winegardner. “We’re going to court. Instead of costing $15-20 million to stop this, it will now probably cost the state much, much more. We don’t like that, because it’s our taxpayer money. But we will go as far as we need to go to stop this project.”
“We’re moving forward on it,” said Charlotte City Councilman Vi Lyles (D). “We’re going to start construction, and hopefully when it gets in place that we’ll have less congestion and more safe travel route.”
Widen I-77 says it will continue with a lawsuit to stop the project.
