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Press Release: I-77 Toll Lanes True Cost is $4.3B, Not $3.2B – Plus Project Removes Hundreds of Parcels from Local Tax Rolls

Adopted state transportation plan shows higher cost and long-term fiscal impact; leaders urged to delay RFP and study lower impact, lower cost alternatives

Charlotte — Public discussions about the proposed I-77 South toll lanes have repeatedly referenced a $3.2 billion capital cost estimate. However, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has officially programmed the project in its adopted State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) at $4,313,315,000 in year-of-expenditure dollars.

That represents an increase of approximately $1.1 billion — a 34% difference from the figure most frequently cited in public communications.

The higher STIP figure reflects the cost of constructing the project in the years it is scheduled to be built, beginning in 2029, rather than in 2024 dollars.

In addition to the increased programmed cost, NCDOT has stated the project could require taking up to 400 parcels along the corridor. Based on modeling of approximately 350 taxable parcels, long-term fiscal analysis estimates that removal of this land from the tax base could represent approximately $137 million in lost local property tax revenue (present value) over the anticipated 50-year concession period.

The I-77 South Request for Qualifications (RFQ) anticipates a 50-year operations, maintenance, and tolling period following construction.

What This Means for Local Services

Using:

  • 350 taxable parcels (of the 400 NCDOT has identified),
  • Current observed property tax values,
  • 4.5% long-term property value growth,
  • 3% public discount rate, and
  • A 50-year concession period (as stated in the RFQ),

The estimated present-value loss of local property tax revenue is:

  • ~$89 million for Mecklenburg County, and
  • ~$48 million for the City of Charlotte,
  • ~$137 million combined.

That represents funding equivalent to approximately:

  • 22 teachers per year for 50 years at the County level, and
  • 9–10 police officers per year for 50 years at the City level.

These estimates do not include potential redevelopment, rezoning, or intensified land use that could further increase long-term tax base growth.

Community Leaders Respond

Shannon Binns, Founder of Sustain Charlotte:

“The NCDOT Board has programmed this project at more than $4.3 billion in the adopted STIP, and the RFQ anticipates a 50-year concession period. Before the region locks itself into that level of cost and a half-century commitment, there must be a pause. The Charlotte City Council, Mecklenburg County Commissioners, and CRTPO should request that NCDOT delay issuing the RFP so the public can fully understand the financial implications and evaluate rapid transit alternatives. Express bus rapid transit can be implemented within the existing roadway footprint, without taking adjacent properties, and can be delivered much sooner than constructing new toll lanes. Residents deserve a rigorous comparison of options before this region moves forward.”

Charlotte City Council Malcolm Graham (District 2):

At this moment, we need to level set as a community. The scope, cost, and duration of this proposal require us to pause and ensure that everyone, residents, policymakers, and regional partners are operating with the same clear understanding of the facts, the financial commitments, and the long-term implications. Before taking another procedural step, we must ground this conversation in transparency, shared information, and a thoughtful assessment of what this project truly means for our community.

Charlotte’s history makes clear that highway expansions have too often disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities, leading to displacement and generational harm. We cannot move forward without ensuring that this process is different, grounded in equity, transparency, and accountability.

Charlotte City Council Member Joi Mayo (District 3)

“We all recognize the importance of transportation infrastructure to regional mobility and economic growth. However, infrastructure decisions must not come at the expense of the communities that have carried the weight of past projects. Current maps and projections raise serious concerns about harm to Black and Brown neighborhoods, displacement of legacy residents, and long-term health and environmental impacts along the corridor.

Charlotte has an opportunity to do this differently. I support pausing the I-77 South expansion and bringing it through the Transportation Committee so Council and staff can fully review the proposal with transparency, meaningful community engagement, and strong protections for those most affected before determining next steps.

I support taking the time necessary to fully evaluate impacts, align regional partners, and ensure that any decision reflects both our transportation needs and our responsibility to protect the people who call these communities home. Charlotte’s future should be built with our residents, not around them.”

Charlotte City Council Member JD Mazuera Arias (District 5):

“Before our region commits to a project of this magnitude, financially and structurally, residents deserve full transparency regarding total costs, financing structure, property impacts, and long-term fiscal implications for both the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. This conversation is not simply about congestion relief; it is about responsible stewardship of public resources, land use consequences, and whether all viable alternatives, including rapid transit strategies within the existing roadway footprint, have been rigorously evaluated. West Charlotte neighborhoods have experienced displacement from past infrastructure decisions, and that history must inform how we proceed. I support pausing procurement to allow for comprehensive public review, clearer financial disclosure, and a meaningful comparison of options so that any decision of this scale is made with complete information and respect for the communities most affected.”

Charlotte City Council Member Kimberly Owens (District 6):

“As a new council member, I am trying to get my arms around what has transpired before my tenure. I am trying to understand how we are where we seem to be in terms of yet another road project that may not effectively address congestion but that may have a detrimental effect on the lives and livelihoods of those neighborhoods in West Charlotte who have already been displaced with previous infrastructure projects. No one who knows the history of these areas can be unmoved by the potential for yet another development that fails to value community input and fails to think creatively about how to address growth.”

Charlotte City Council Member James Mitchell (At-Large):

“When we consider a project of this magnitude — more than $4.3 billion and a 50-year commitment — we have a duty to make sure the public understands the full picture. We must carefully evaluate the fiscal impact, the long-term consequences for our community, and whether there are transportation solutions that serve all residents equitably. A pause to review the options before issuing an RFP is a reasonable step.”

Charlotte City Council Member Victoria Watlington (At-Large):

As a longtime resident of Westover Hills on West Boulevard, and as someone who knows firsthand how deeply our communities are shaped by the decisions made about our infrastructure, I stand in solidarity with residents across the Interstate 77 corridor in calling for a pause on this widening project until we have a full, transparent understanding of its costs, consequences, and community impacts.

Neighborhoods along this corridor, including historic communities like McCrorey Heights, represent generations of investment, culture, and resilience. These are not blank spaces on a map. They are living communities whose futures hang in the balance whenever major transportation decisions are made.

We know this story because we have lived this story. Across this country, highways were once driven through Black and working-class neighborhoods in the name of progress, leaving division, displacement, and lost wealth in their wake. We cannot allow history to repeat itself here.

Equity cannot be an afterthought, and it cannot be reduced to a box checked late in the process. It must be the foundation. That means slowing down, engaging residents meaningfully, examining alternatives honestly, and ensuring that any decision made strengthens communities rather than sacrifices them.

This is not about stopping progress. It is about making sure progress includes the people who have always called these neighborhoods home. We owe them nothing less than care, transparency, and leadership that refuses to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Sean Langley, President, McCrorey Heights Neighborhood Association:

“NCDOT was recently asked how much the year-long surveying activity cost, and they declined to provide an answer. This refusal raises serious concerns about transparency and fiscal accountability. Given that the time of expenditure cost is $4.3 billion rather than the $3.2 billion on their website, this only heightens concerns about whether NCDOT is being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.”

Megan Kimball, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center (draft for review):

“The proposed I-77 South expansion reflects outdated planning assumptions from decades ago — before Charlotte’s multimodal commitments, before voter-backed transit funding, and before today’s understanding that widening highways rarely solves congestion long term. Committing to a $4.3 billion, 50-year toll project risks locking the region into yesterday’s solution for tomorrow’s challenges. State and local leaders need to pause and reassess more effective and less costly alternatives.”

Request for a Pause Before March 13 RFP 

Given the scale of this project, the newly highlighted fiscal impacts, and the significant difference between the publicly cited $3.2 billion estimate and the $4.313 billion programmed cost in the adopted STIP, we are calling for:

  • The Charlotte City Council and the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to formally request that NCDOT pause further procurement activity.
  • The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) to exercise its authority to request that NCDOT delay issuance of the planned March 13 RFP.

A pause would allow time for:

  • Full public discussion of the project’s true programmed cost;
  • Transparent explanation of the 50-year concession structure;
  • Rigorous evaluation of long-term fiscal impacts on the local tax base; and
  • Independent study of lower impact, lower cost alternatives, including rapid transit within the existing roadway footprint.

Rapid transit options can:

  • Be implemented within existing right-of-way without taking adjacent private property;
  • Reduce vehicle trips rather than expand roadway capacity;
  • Improve air quality and reduce noise impacts;
  • Provide reliable travel time for all residents, not only those who can afford tolls; and
  • Deliver congestion relief strategies that have been successfully implemented in cities across the country and internationally.

Charlotte residents deserve a transportation system that is safe, reliable, and predictable. That requires looking seriously at targeted safety improvements and operational fixes to address known safety and congestion hot spots on I-77, paired with transit options that reduce demand — rather than assuming that wider highways are the only solution.

To date, NCDOT has not conducted a comprehensive public evaluation of these alternatives to managed toll lanes.

Before committing the region to a $4.3 billion highway expansion and a 50-year concession agreement, residents deserve a thorough comparison of less expensive, lower-impact, and more equitable transportation solutions.

The decision to issue an RFP is not a minor administrative step — it is a major milestone that puts the region onto a procurement pathway with long-term financial consequences.

Given the magnitude of the costs and impacts now documented, a pause is both reasonable and responsible.

Lost Property Tax Estimate Methodology

STIP Programmed Cost

NCDOT Current STIP (Project I-5718):
$4,313,315,000 programmed in year-of-expenditure dollars

Website Estimate

NCDOT project page states:
“The current capital cost estimate is $3.2 billion (August 2024).”

Concession Period

RFQ for this project states:
“Design and construction period followed by a 50-year operations, maintenance, and tolling period commencing from substantial completion.”

Parcel Assumptions

  • NCDOT has stated the project could require taking up to 400 parcels
  • Modeled taxable parcels: 350
  • Observed annual tax range: $3,000–$6,000 per parcel
  • Midpoint used: $4,500 per parcel
  • Total current annual property tax modeled: $1,575,000

Revenue Allocation

  • Mecklenburg County ≈ 65%
  • City of Charlotte ≈ 35%

Growth & Discount Assumptions

  • Long-term property value growth: 4.5%
  • Discount rate: 3%
  • Time horizon: 50 years
  • Growing annuity factor ≈ 87

50-Year Present Value

  • Total ≈ $137 million
  • County ≈ $89 million
  • City ≈ $48 million

Service Equivalency Benchmarks

  • Teacher (fully loaded) ≈ $80,000/year
  • Police officer (fully loaded) ≈ $100,000/year

Limitations

  • Final parcel count may vary
  • Some acquisitions may be partial
  • Some parcels may be tax-exempt
  • Does not include redevelopment intensity or secondary economic effects

About Sustain Charlotte

Sustain Charlotte is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a more equitable, connected, and healthy community by inspiring responsible growth and transportation choices. Through research, public education, and policy advocacy, Sustain Charlotte works to advance smart land use, multimodal transportation, and sustainable development throughout the Charlotte region.

About the McCrorey Heights Neighborhood Association

The McCrorey Heights Neighborhood Association represents residents of the historic McCrorey Heights community in west Charlotte. The association advocates for neighborhood preservation, equitable development, public safety, and transparent government decision-making affecting the community.

About the Southern Environmental Law Center

The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 200, including more than 130 legal and policy experts, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. selc.org