Political battles are escalating in Raleigh and north Mecklenburg this week over the NCDOT's plan for toll lanes on I-77 north of Charlotte. On Wednesday, lawmakers from the Lake Norman area called on Senate leaders to allow debate on a stalled bill that seeks to cancel the project.
That bill easily passed the House on June 2. But it faces a tougher road in the Senate, where Senate leader Phil Berger has said he doesn't see any need for halting the project, which is already under way.
Meanwhile, Cornelius commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution of no confidence in Mayor Chuck Travis over his support for the project. And one town over, Davidson's town board voted again to call on the DOT to cancel the toll-lane contract.
The 5-0 votes at both town boards came after Travis and Davidson Mayor John Woods met privately with Senate leader Phil Berger and other lawmakers on June 8. At that meeting, the mayors described their visit to a similar project in Texas last November. They argued in favor of the DOT's plan to widen 26 miles of I-77 between Charlotte and Lake Norman with toll lanes and against a bill that calls for canceling the contract.
Commissioners in both towns oppose the 50-year, $650 million contract with I-77 Mobility Partners, the private company building the lanes. Lake Norman business and elected leaders have also been lobbying against the project at the legislature.
Both mayors said earlier this week they were acting privately in the meeting. But their lobbying against House Bill 954 angered toll-lane opponents and some commissioners.
Cornelius commissioners on Tuesday also asked Travis to resign. He refused.
Travis said in a statement that canceling the contract would jeopardize economic development by creating uncertainty about future road projects in the Lake Norman area.
