DOT updates City Council on toll lanes

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The N.C. Department of Transportation briefed the Charlotte City Council this week on plans to widen Interstate 77 with toll lanes in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties, and put a price tag on project-related “bonus funds” the state is slated to give the counties for infrastructure projects.

I-77 Mobility Partners, a division of Spanish company Cintra Infraestructuras S.A., will begin construction on the managed lanes this summer. The $655.1 million project includes a 26-mile widening of I-77 with two additional lanes in each direction from uptown to Cornelius – converting existing HOV lanes – and one additional lane in each direction from Cornelius to Mooresville. There will be eight or nine entry and exit points, with segments between them ranging from 2.3 to 6.5 miles. A 2,000-foot ancillary weaving lane will provide ingress and egress to and from the managed lanes at each access point.

Each segment will be tolled separately via an electronic system. I-77 Mobility Partners will determine the pricing, which will change based on congestion levels. N.C. DOT will own the lanes and tolling infrastructure, and user accounts will be managed by the N.C. Turnpike Authority.

According to N.C. DOT, a flyover lane is proposed for the busy interchange of I-77 and Interstate 277 in uptown.  Driving southbound, cars using the flyover could first exit for uptown on I-277 at the College Street exit. Council members raised concerns about traffic congestion and merger-related accidents at the exit. Warren Cooksey, director of outreach and community affairs for N.C. DOT’s District 10 and a former city council member, acknowledged the issue and said it was under review.

Meanwhile, the N.C. DOT will allocate $158 million in bonus funds for Mecklenburg and Iredell counties, an amount equal to one-half of the construction cost that is funded through project-related toll revenue bonds. The state uses the funds as an incentive to apply tolls as a financing and management strategy. The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization will give priority consideration to eligible projects in the toll corridor, the N.C.DOT said. Those considered priorities include direct access to and from toll lanes, modifications to existing interchanges, and accommodations for future greenway crossings. Early next year the organization’s technical coordinating committee will recommend a selection of bonus allocation projects.