CHARLOTTE— The North Carolina Department of Transportation today has released six conceptual designs that reimagine how the I-77 South corridor can reconnect the west side of I-77 with the rest of Charlotte. The concepts include cap park structures, pedestrian and bicycle stitches, and landscaped crossings to reconnect the corridor where it was split when I-77 was initially constructed. The six concepts were developed in response to community input gathered through the project's engagement process, including months of comments, events at the Community Engagement Center, and throughout the community. Each concept addresses a specific location along the corridor.
In light of recent developments that may impact the project's funding, and, in particular, reconnection opportunities, the "Reconnecting the Corridor Summit" has been postponed. The department hopes to reschedule the event soon, which was intended to be a community design sprint, giving corridor residents the opportunity to hear directly from a nationally recognized cap and stitch expert, dialogue with one another, and provide real-time feedback that would strengthen the concepts before they advance.
Given specific feedback from corridor residents, NCDOT has designed six concepts in response. Every corridor resident, commuter, and stakeholder can review the design concepts and weigh in.
The I-77 South Express Lanes project is included in the 2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and is specifically defined as: “Widen freeway to ten lanes by constructing managed lanes and reconstruct I-277 interchanges. This is a toll project (managed lanes only)."
Because of the delivery method for this project, concepts like these can move forward.
The six concepts are as follows:
1. Oaklawn Ave Reconnecting historic McCrorey Heights Neighborhood with Genesis Park Neighborhood as well as reconnecting Greenville Park and Waddell Street Park
2. W. 5th St Reconnecting historic Biddleville Neighborhood to uptown/Frazier Park/Ray's Splash Planet
3. W. Trade St Reconnecting West End by having wider sidewalks and multiuse paths (supporting the existing Reconnecting the West End initiative)
4. Revolution Park Extending greenway and upgrading the existing segment in addition to installing a new tunnel connecting Revolution Park to Abbott Park
5. Remount Rd. Reconnection of Revolution Park to Southside Park with upgraded pedestrian and bicycle connectivity
6. Long Cap Between W. 5th St and W. Trade St. Reconnection of historic Wesley Heights Neighborhood and Biddleville Neighborhood with uptown/Frazier Park
The designs are conceptual at this stage. With community feedback, they could be advanced as part of community benefits commitments tied to the project, or through a developer competition structured around the corridor reconstruction. All concepts are feasible, developed by NCDOT and engineering consultants.
Last week, the four shortlisted developer teams were in Charlotte and heard directly from corridor residents on four categories that will shape any future development tied to the project:
1. Express Lanes Design
2. Quality of Life
3. Reconnecting the Corridor
4. Economic Considerations
These unprecedented developer engagements reflect a strong commitment to ensure that community voice informs process and design. The concepts and the developer engagement are part of the planning work for the I-77 South Express Lanes project, which is currently under federal environmental review and is programmed in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). They advance only as part of that project.
A comparative analysis NCDOT conducted in 2024 determined that the I-77 South Express Lanes project is only financially feasible as a toll-backed P3 delivery. If support for the P3 were rescinded by the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, the project would not proceed. The six concepts released today would also not move forward.
In addition, any future effort to address corridor safety, congestion or reconnect the west side of the corridor to this degree would require a new project to be scoped, studied, designed and resubmitted for scoring in the state's prioritization process.
"For more than fifty years, I-77 has carried hundreds of thousands of vehicles through south Charlotte every day, and it has also separated communities from growth and opportunities," said Brett Canipe, PE, NCDOT Western Deputy Chief Engineer. "The cap and stitch concepts we are releasing represent a real opportunity to reconnect what was disconnected. We want the public to see them, study them, and tell us what they think."
The concepts are available for review and public comment at the I-77 South Express Lanes project site . Residents are also invited to view the designs in person and speak with project team members at the Community Engagement Center, located at 1023 Morehead Street Suite 150, during regular operating hours.
Comments received will be reviewed by the project team and will inform refinements to the designs as the project advances through the Environmental Document and final design in late 2027.
For more information, to view the six concepts, and to submit feedback, visit the project website.