A Charlotte construction company is suing developers of the I-77 Express Lanes, saying it's owed $47.7 million for paving and other work.
Blythe Development and the related Blythe Brothers Asphalt filed claims in Iredell County Superior Court in January against I-77 Mobility Partners and Sugar Creek Construction. The construction companies also filed two related breach-of-contract suits in Mecklenburg County Superior Court in February.
The Blythe companies say they signed three contracts with the developers for laying down stone and asphalt, bridge work, and grading between 2016 and 2020. The claims filed in Iredell County are technically known as mechanic's liens and seek repayment of:
- $31 million plus interest to Blythe Asphalt, for stone base and asphalt between August 2016 and December 2020.
- $8.8 million plus interest to Blythe Development for bridge construction between February 2017 and September 2020.
- $7.7 million plus interest to Blythe Development for grading and other roadway work between March 2016 and September 2020.
In a court filing, the Blythe companies said they want to hold off on the suits while the case goes to arbitration.
Blythe and the I-77 developers declined to comment.
The express lanes run 26 miles between Charlotte and Mooresville. The final segment opened in November 2019 after four years of construction.