The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s revised plan for the Interstate 77 toll lanes prevents six more homes from being demolished. But 36 homes could still be torn down, according to the state.
The DOT this week unveiled a slightly revised proposal for widening I-77. It’s similar to the plan the state recommended earlier this year, which calls for the toll lanes to be elevated through center city. The state did that to create a narrower highway footprint, with fewer impacts on homes, parks and cemeteries.
But many westside residents still oppose the elevated proposal, saying the bridged toll lanes will be ugly and further divide them from uptown.
In response, the state tweaked its design. The biggest change is on Oaklawn Avenue, which the DOT decided against widening as it approaches the highway. That would save up to five homes.
The state has also added more retaining walls along the 11-mile corridor to the South Carolina border to preserve the natural landscape. You can view new maps here.
But the DOT hasn’t changed the scope of the project, which would have two new toll lanes in each direction. And the route of the highway is still basically the same as the original elevated design.
The Wilmore neighborhood near West Boulevard would still be heavily impacted as the highway crosses West Boulevard.
The McCrorey Heights neighborhood would not have any homes demolished under the revised plan. But neighborhood leader Sean Langley said he still opposes the project because he said the elevated toll lanes would be too intrusive.
He looked at the new maps Wednesday at the DOT’s new “community engagement center” on West Morehead Street.
“It doesn’t look like any changes have happened,” Langley said. “And even the staff (at the community engagement center) didn’t see any noticeable differences. To their understanding, they have lessened the footprint, but these are the same maps that they showed us on Nov. 12.”
Langley and other leaders of historically Black neighborhoods say the I-77 widening will further divide them from uptown, just as the construction of the original highway did decades ago.
The N.C. Turnpike Authority, which is working with the state, stressed in a news release that the designs are still preliminary.
“NCDOT is actively listening to community feedback and refining preliminary designs based on concerns raised by our neighbors along the corridor. At this stage, the project design is currently only about 10-15% complete, and the maps being referenced establish an initial project footprint that serves as a starting point for design and is required as part of the federal environmental review process,” the state said.
The state has also noted that homes in Wesley Heights and Biddleville won't be impacted by the expansion.
In response to criticism from residents, the DOT in February agreed to delay issuing a Request for Proposals from four potential contractors to gather more feedback from residents. Part of that was opening the new community engagement center.
It’s also said it will ask the four potential contractors to come up with creative designs, such as placing a concrete cap over part of the highway near uptown. A park could be built on top of the cap.
The DOT has had different messages on I-77, which is one of the state’s most congested highways and is in gridlock for much of the day.
The state has said it wants to work with residents and find a plan that everyone can support. But it’s also played hardball: At-large DOT board member Stephen Rosenburgh said in a meeting last week that if Charlotte rejected the toll lanes, he would question whether the state should support other transportation projects in the area.
The Southern Environmental Law Center and Sustain Charlotte said they viewed Rosenburgh’s comments as a threat of reprisal should the city say "no."
The Charlotte City Council, which is the key decision maker, has criticized the project but has not moved to stop it. Council members have mostly celebrated the DOT’s decision to wait and issue the RFP until June.
