The Charlotte City Council has not explained why it canceled Wednesday afternoon’s special meeting on the Interstate 77 toll lane project.
Council members had scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday about I-77, but then abruptly cancelled it hours later. They have not offered an explanation as to why the meeting was called or why it was cancelled.
I-77 is one of the state’s most congested highways, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to partner with a private contractor to build two new express toll lanes in each direction from uptown to the South Carolina line.
While the highway is in gridlock for much of the day, many residents near the center city say widening the Interstate will damage their communities, just as the construction of the original highway did decades ago.
The City Council is the most important governmental body when determining whether the controversial $3.2 billion toll lane project moves forward.
In theory, council members could direct their transportation representative, Ed Driggs, to vote against the project at the regional transportation planning organization, but council members appear reluctant to do that.
They have instead backed the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s plan to spend three more months hearing concerns from residents of mostly Black neighborhoods near center city.
But the DOT hasn’t scaled back the new toll lanes, and there’s no guarantee it will make any significant changes to the design. The state has said it will ask contractors for alternative designs and has also talked about adding “community benefits” to the project, such as affordable housing for affected communities or a community center.
And the DOT’s extended listening has gotten off to a rough start.
The state cancelled a tour of impacted neighborhoods Monday after non-invited residents said they would try to attend. The DOT called that a “credible security threat.”
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization is scheduled to discuss the project Wednesday night.
