Nine Charlotte City Council members on Monday night said they want to pause planning for the new $3.2 billion express toll lanes on Interstate 77 — a majority that could, at least, in theory, reverse the council's earlier approval for what would be the biggest single infrastructure program in state history.
They have changed their position in response to vocal opposition from west Charlotte residents, who say the toll lanes will hurt their neighborhoods. The residents also say the city of Charlotte and the North Carolina Department of Transportation misled them by withholding critical information about the highway.
In October 2024, the Charlotte City Council was debating whether to support the DOT’s plan to partner with a private developer to build express toll lanes from uptown to the South Carolina line. Private toll lanes are politically toxic. Council members were concerned that a vote to move forward would make it impossible to change their mind later.
City Council member Ed Driggs, Charlotte’s point person on transportation, said that wasn’t the case.
“So, my intention would be to report back from time to time to Council on what the discussions are, what we see taking shape,” Driggs told his colleagues.
He told council members that they could back out.
“Bear in mind, sometimes you get these early votes and then later on you don't feel like you have a choice,” he said. “There's nothing to stop us in nine months from looking at whatever comes out of this process and just saying no, not going to do it. “
With those comforting October words, all council members backed the public-private partnership, also known as a P3.
But council members missed Driggs’ qualification: they could change their mind — only within nine months. That’s when the DOT was going to ask contractors to send their resumes to see which was qualified to build the highway.
A looming deadline
That moment — in August 2025 — was set up as an artificial deadline, after which the state and Driggs have claimed there is no return.
Two months later, the DOT unveiled the designs for the highway. The plans enraged west Charlotte residents.
Months later, what bothers many residents is that the state already had an idea back in October 2024 of what the highway would look like and what its impact would be to the west side.
The DOT just chose not to release the maps publicly.
In October 2024, former council member Tiawana Brown asked Brett Canipe of the DOT whether the state had designs. Brown’s district would be one of the most impacted by the highway expansion.
“Why don’t we have anything preliminary out?” Brown asked.
Canipe replied: “We do have it. We have preliminary design concepts. And we have shared those with local staff to develop those concepts. But before we took anything outward-facing to the public without a clear path forward, it might be giving a mixed message to folks.”
McCrorey Heights neighborhood president Sean Langley said he doesn’t understand why the state didn’t share designs until after the DOT claimed elected officials couldn’t stop it.
“I know the community wasn’t aware of it,” Langley said. “I think that’s part of the issue. (It’s) sort of a bait and switch.”
That all led to a raucous council meeting Monday, in which speakers like Shauna Bell of McCrorey Heights pleaded for council to stop the project.
“We simply want the same quality of life, environmental protection and considerations that everyone wants for their own families,” she said. “Charlotte has a choice and history is watching. And our legacy will be shaped by whether we choose convenience or courage.”
The crowd cheered.
Different designs, different impacts
One plan for the toll lanes is to place them at the same elevation as the existing highway. That would require the demolition of some homes in McCrorey Heights and Wilmore. It would also take some land from Frazier Park and Pinewood Cemetery.
The other option — which the DOT ultimately picked — calls for the toll lanes to be elevated above the main highway. That would have a smaller footprint and impact fewer homes.
But many residents don’t like it either, saying it would be ugly and increase noise pollution.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and the city attorney, Andrea Leslie-Fite, have downplayed the council’s ability to stop or pause the project. On Monday night, Leslie-Fite told council members that “A single-member government, including the city, can not universally reverse the regional vote (of CRTPO).”
While that is factual, the attorney didn’t say that Charlotte controls more than 40% of the vote at CRTPO.
The city could lead a vote to stop, or perhaps pause, the project. It could be successful with just two other members.
At Monday’s meeting, nine council members said they are in favor of pausing the project. Driggs is opposed. LaWana Mayfield was absent.
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s business community is pushing for the toll lanes to continue. I-77 is one of the state’s most congested highways, and is in gridlock in both directions for much of the day.
