CHARLOTTE — The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced today that it is expanding the initial community engagement period for the I-77 South Express Lanes project and will issue the first draft Request for Proposals in late June 2026. The extended timeline reflects the department's commitment to listening to residents and elected officials, addressing concerns, and ensuring community input shapes the project's development.
NCDOT is also establishing a Community Engagement Center in the project corridor where residents can meet with the project team in person or online. The center will serve as an ongoing resource for surrounding communities, providing project information, offering one-on-one meetings with NCDOT staff, and creating opportunities to discuss potential community enhancements and beneficial programs. A schedule for appointments and virtual office hours will be published in April.
“This project design is in its very early stages, and we want the public to know there is significant time remaining for their voices to be heard," said NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson. “We are committed to meeting with residents along the corridor, engaging with neighborhoods, and ensuring that community feedback is reflected in how this project moves forward."
Final design is not expected until at least the end of 2027. Construction is not anticipated to begin until the early 2030s, allowing time for continued engagement, environmental review, and refinement of design options.
“The City continues to work closely with NCDOT to ensure that concerns from the community are heard, and we look forward to this expanded period of community listening and input. It remains critical that we stay engaged to ensure this project balances regional benefit and community concerns," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles added.
NCDOT emphasized that all homes north of the John Belk Freeway will be preserved. The elevated design option, currently under consideration, was recommended to significantly reduce neighborhood impacts and avoid displacements that would have occurred under a traditional widening approach.
A discount program for qualifying low-income residents will be implemented. Carpools, public transit vehicles, and emergency responders will also have toll-free access to the express lanes.
The I-77 South corridor is one of the region's most heavily traveled routes, serving commuters, freight movement, and regional travel. Crash rates along this corridor are 2.5 times higher than the state average for urban interstates, driven in part by recurring congestion, roughly equating to five crashes per day. The project is intended to improve safety and provide more reliable travel times.
During the extended engagement period from March through June 2026, NCDOT will continue small group meetings, publish updated materials, and incorporate feedback into the draft RFP.
More information about the project and upcoming engagement opportunities is available at ncdot.gov/projects/i-77-south-express-lanes.
###
KEY FACTS ABOUT THE I-77 SOUTH EXPRESS LANES PROJECT
Current Project Status
The project design is only 10-15 percent complete. Final design is not scheduled to be complete until at least the end of 2027. The current procurement process allows time for NCDOT and shortlisted developer teams to listen to community concerns, minimize project impacts, and identify community benefits through 2027. Developer teams will be evaluated based on key priorities established by NCDOT through community feedback. Construction is not expected to begin until the early 2030s.
On March 13, NCDOT will send preliminary project information to the shortlisted teams. However, the first of many draft RFPs will not be issued until late June, providing an extended listening period for continued community feedback.
Neighborhood Protections
All homes north of John Belk Freeway will be preserved. All homes in Wesley Heights, McCrorey Heights, Biddleville, Genesis Park, and other neighborhoods north of John Belk Freeway will be preserved. The elevated design option was recommended specifically because it significantly reduces property impacts to these neighborhoods and avoids impacts to Pinewood Cemetery.
NCDOT is adjusting design based on continued community engagement. Preliminary designs showed the widest possible application. Those designs have since evolved and continue to change with a goal of minimizing impact. The elevated design avoids 41 homes that a traditional widening approach would have impacted.
Access Provisions
Unlike the I-77 North Express Lanes, toll rate caps will be established to help optimize usage of the express lanes. Toll rates will remain low when usage of the express lanes is low.
A discount program for qualifying low-income residents will also be established.
Improved congestion management will be established for all drivers in the corridor. Every driver that chooses to use the express lanes is one less car in the general purpose lanes.
The express lanes will allow public transit and emergency vehicles to access incidents more quickly.
Express lanes will be free for carpools, public transit, and emergency vehicles. Buses and other CATS (MPTA) vehicles, first responders, and vehicles with at least three passengers will have toll-free access to the express lanes and reliable travel times.
The express lanes can function as a bus rapid transit route. While the express lanes are not a dedicated bus rapid transit route, they can essentially function as one because of the reliable travel time they provide for transit vehicles.
Funding and Regional Investment
The dollars allocated for this project cannot be redirected to trains or other transit-related projects. These are highway construction funds designated for roadway infrastructure. However, $100 million in state Bonus Allocation funds will be available for other transportation projects in the region, in addition to the approved $600 million already available for the project.
Safety and Congestion
Crash rates along the I-77 South corridor are 2.5 times the state average due to congestion. Some drivers experience up to an hour of traffic delays depending on the time of day. The project provides a critical safety and congestion solution for one of the Charlotte region's busiest corridors, which serves as a major route for regional travel and freight.
Express lanes can reduce air pollution. Congested roadways produce more air pollution through idling vehicles. CRTPO's Beyond 77 Study recommends the implementation of the planned express lanes network, noting that managed lanes offer travel time reliability and provide an alternative to continuing to expand general-purpose lanes.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PHASE II: MARCH THROUGH JUNE 2026
NCDOT has committed to the following actions during the extended listening period:
Secretary Johnson will host small group meetings with residents along the I-77 corridor. These meetings are being scheduled to ensure residents have direct access to department leadership.
The Community Engagement Center will be activated as a full resource for surrounding communities, providing project information, discussion opportunities, and community enhancement conversations.
NCDOT will publish a schedule for one-on-one meetings at the Community Engagement Center and continue meeting with residents along the corridor.
Maps and graphics reflecting the current 10–15 percent complete design are available, along with proactive communications and updates via the project website and digital platforms.
Shortlisted developer teams will begin attending engagement meetings and listening to community members for input before design work begins in June.
Community feedback will be reflected in the first draft of the RFP, with minimizing impact and optimizing community benefits established as evaluation priorities for selection of the final developer.
ADDRESSING COMMUNITY QUESTIONS
NCDOT recognizes that residents have questions and concerns about the I-77 South Express Lanes project. The department is committed to providing factual, transparent information as the project develops. Below are responses to commonly raised topics.
Will homes in historically Black neighborhoods be demolished?
Over the past year, NCDOT held nearly 30 small group meetings and two formal public meetings, engaging approximately 2,000 people. All homes north of John Belk Freeway will be preserved.
The elevated design was recommended specifically to preserve all homes in Wesley Heights, McCrorey Heights, Biddleville, Genesis Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. This design avoids 41 homes that the at-grade widening option would have impacted. NCDOT acknowledges the historic harm caused by past highway construction in these communities and is working to ensure this project does not repeat that history.
Is the project design final?
No. The project design is only approximately 10-15 percent complete. Final design will not be complete until at least the end of 2027. The project must also complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which evaluates impacts to neighborhoods, air quality, noise, water resources, and other environmental factors. NCDOT cannot finalize a project design until NEPA review is complete. There remains significant opportunity for community input to shape the outcome.
Will the express lanes be affordable?
A discount program for qualifying low-income residents will be implemented. Toll rate caps will also be established. Additionally, all existing general-purpose lanes will remain free to use. Carpools with three or more passengers, all public transit vehicles, and emergency responders will travel the express lanes at no cost.
Why not build transit instead of express lanes?
The funding allocated for this project is designated for highway infrastructure and cannot be redirected to rail or other transit projects. However, the express lanes are designed to support transit: CATS buses and MPTA vehicles will travel the lanes toll-free, with reliable travel times that effectively allow the lanes to function as a bus rapid transit corridor. The recently approved Mecklenburg County transit referendum will fund separate transit investments for the region.
Why not put the highway in a tunnel?
NCDOT reviewed and compared tunnel projects such as the Big Dig in Boston and Alaskan Way in Seattle. Relocating I-77 underground would cost billions of dollars per mile, 10 to 20 times NCDOT's annual capital budget. Annual maintenance costs alone would exceed $50 million, which represents nearly all of NCDOT Division 10's annual maintenance fund for bridge, roadway maintenance, and pothole repairs across the entire division. Tunneling could also carry additional construction and safety risks.
Was the community engagement process transparent?
Over the past year, NCDOT held nearly 30 small group meetings and two formal public meetings, engaging approximately 2,000 people. The department recognizes that more engagement is needed and will be engaging the community for feedback and insights through 2027. The new Community Engagement Center will provide an ongoing, permanent resource for information and dialogue.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The I-77 South Express Lanes project has been a regional transportation priority since 2007, when the Fast Lanes Study first identified the I-77 corridor for improvement. The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization formally submitted the project to NCDOT for prioritization in 2014. The project was reaffirmed multiple times by CRTPO before the Request for Qualifications was issued in August 2025.
The 11-mile project extends from Interstate 277 to the South Carolina state line. I-77 is a major corridor for regional travel and freight, and one of the most congested routes in the state. When complete, the new express lanes would connect with existing express lanes on I-77 North and the new toll lanes on I-485.
RESOURCES AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Project Website: ncdot.gov/projects/i-77-south-express-lanes
Property Owner Resources: ncdot.gov/projects/Pages/property-owner-resources.aspx
Email: i-77south@ncdot.gov
Phone: 1-800-254-0498