I-77 expansion project faces opposition from NC residents

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The largest road project proposal in North Carolina history is coming up against some neighborhood opposition.

NCDOT is planning to add express lanes to 11 miles of I-77 South from Charlotte to the South Carolina border, potentially widening the highway into parts of the Wesley Heights neighborhood of Charlotte.

“I’m thinking about pollution, I’m thinking about noise and I’m thinking about my property value,” said Emily Sutton, who lives close to the interstate.

She says proximity to Uptown is a major draw of the area, and she and her neighbors are gearing up to fight to keep that.

I-77 already comes between the Wesley Heights neighborhood and Uptown. 

Shannon Hughes, the president of the Wesley Heights Community Association, says he’s concerned with the potential impacts of increasing that barrier.

“We think there should be other alternatives that could include using bypasses or looking at a small segment of Charlotte going underground,” Hughes said.

DOT officials say their goal with the project is to minimize the effects on residents, businesses, and the environment, while relieving congestion on I-77.

More than 160,000 cars a day pass through some sections.

Officials say adding express lanes will help with that traffic and reduce crashes.

“Improving safety is a number one priority for NCDOT,” said Brett Canipe, NCDOT’s western deputy chief engineer. “Anytime you have a congested corridor, you’re going to have additional accidents. A key component of the project will be to improve safety by being able to modernize interchanges and connections throughout the corridor.”

Sutton says the proposal only benefits people passing through Charlotte and doesn’t consider residents.

Carly Swanson, NCDOT’s director of innovative delivery, would push back on that, saying locals have asked for express lanes in transportation studies.

The project’s estimated to cost $3.2 billion and be completed several years from now.

“We’ve worked very hard the last 20 years trying to get this neighborhood close and cohesive, and we finally achieved that,” Hughes said. “Things like this deteriorate our morale.”

Potential designs will be unveiled this fall, when the public can give their feedback.

For more information, visit the NCDOT website here.