North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Secretary Jim Trogdon recently revealed his proposed plan for the I-77 express-lane project.
The plan addresses concerns received after feedback from an I-77 local advisory group and from residents of north Mecklenburg County and ways the state will ultimately operate the express lanes.
The express lanes will run 26 miles from the Brookshire Freeway in Mecklenburg County to N.C. 150 in Iredell County. The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization requested the lanes.
The Strategic Transportation Investments state law and stipulations in the contract, which was signed by the previous administration, prevent NCDOT from immediately buying out the contract.
“I have heard loud and clear from Gov. Cooper and members of both the community and the local advisory group that the preference is for NCDOT to operate this facility,” Trogdon said. “While working to fulfill that eventual objective, we will implement an ‘Improve, Expand, Protect’ action plan to respond immediately to concerns raised by residents.”
NCDOT must overcome numerous obstacles. These include the agency, under state law, must report any proposed contract modifications or cancellations to the state assembly at least 60 days in advance of finalization, and projects must be scored based on technical data and then be prioritized for funding.