The Charlotte City Council voted Monday night to withdraw its support for the proposed Interstate 77 toll lanes from uptown to the South Carolina line, a stunning reversal on the multibillion-dollar highway expansion.
In a 6-5 vote, council members directed the city’s representative on a regional transportation planning board to rescind Charlotte’s backing for the project. Council member Renee Johnson made the motion to stop the current version of the plan.
“Leadership means having the courage to revisit decisions when new information, new technology and new concerns demand it,” Johnson said. “Our responsibility isn’t to defend outdated assumptions. Our responsibility is to the people we serve.”
Johnson, Malcolm Graham, J.D. Mazuera Arias, Joi Mayo, Victoria Watlington and LaWana Mayfield voted in favor of rescinding support for the project.
Kimberly Owens, James Mitchell, Ed Driggs, Dimple Ajmera and Dante Anderson voted against the motion.
The toll lanes project has drawn criticism over the past six months, both for the effect adding two lanes in each direction would have on largely Black neighborhoods west of uptown and for the NCDOT's perceived lack of transparency about the design and planning.
The Black Political Caucus of Charlotte Mecklenburg has vigorously opposed the project. The caucus transportation chair, Raki McGregor, has said that council members’ votes on I-77 could determine BPC endorsements for the 2027 elections.
The 6-5 vote produced sharp divisions among potential mayoral candidates for next year’s open seat. Mayor Vi Lyles announced last week that she would not finish her term and would resign June 30.
Ajmera, Anderson and Mitchell — potential candidates — all voted against rescinding city approval for I-77. Another two potential candidates, Graham and Watlington, voted to stop the project.
Watlington is also pushing for researchers at UNC Charlotte to conduct a study of alternatives for I-77.
The stretch of I-77 from uptown to the South Carolina state line is one of the most congested stretches of highway in the state, and Charlotte leaders have been looking for a solution for years. The business community and groups like the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance largely support the plan.
The city of Charlotte controls 41% of the vote on the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, the key decision-making body for the I-77 project. The city’s representative on that board, Driggs, will now vote to withdraw Charlotte’s support.
If two other local governments also vote to rescind their backing, the I-77 project would be stopped. Council members who supported the motion said they want to start over and consider new ideas.
Driggs warned his colleagues that their decision could kill future I-77 expansion entirely. He said that, given funding constraints, the project isn't possible for the state without partnering with a private company to build toll lanes.
"None of this happens if there is no P3 (public-private partnership). NC DOT is not going to see any basis for engaging in discussions about any of these things," he said.
Toll lane opponents were pleased, but they acknowledged the project still has some legs.
"Last night’s vote represents a major shift in the conversation around the proposed I-77 South toll lanes project and reflects the growing concern many residents and community leaders have expressed over the past several months. While this vote does not end the discussion around the project, it is an important acknowledgment that the community deserves a more thoughtful process before decisions of this magnitude move forward," wrote Shannon Binns, CEO of the nonprofit Sustain Charlotte.
Charlotte needs support to stop I-77 project
To stop the project, the city of Charlotte will need two other members of the CRTPO board to join their resolution to rescind.
Mecklenburg County has already voted against the project. The county’s CRTPO representative, Leigh Altman, said she doesn’t think the County Commission needs to vote again and that the previous objection to the project will continue.
Matthews has also voted against the project. Matthews Mayor John Higdon has said this year he would likely vote again to stop I-77.
There will likely be intense lobbying from the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance to convince CRTPO members not to stop the toll lanes.
If the current project is stopped, it’s unclear what will happen next.
The city could advocate for a stripped-down version of the highway expansion, with no toll lanes. Gaston County is widening 10 miles of I-85 for $1.5 billion. It’s adding one free lane in each direction — without toll lanes.
It’s possible CRTPO could direct the DOT to study a similar option for I-77. The project would have to be broken into phases so the state could access “corridor cap” funds multiple times.
