NCDOT says there’s too much attention on homes that could be lost in historically Black neighborhood to new toll lanes project

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The North Carolina Department of Transportation is trying to change the public’s perception of the latest I-77 toll lane project. Those lanes would run along an 11-mile stretch from the Brookshire Freeway to the South Carolina state line and would cost more than $3 billion.

NCDOT says too much attention has been focused on homes that could be lost in the historically Black Wilmore neighborhood, and not on the benefits to commuters. NCDOT consultant Dealva Arnold says, “We have to make sure that every, all voices are represented here and quite frankly I’m very concerned about a small group of voices really dictating the project.”

Consultants for NCDOT say nine of the state’s top 10 most congested sections of interstate are on the stretch of I-77 between Uptown and South Carolina. Community listening sessions will be held next week with possible developers.