The North Carolina Department of Transportation is planning to build elevated express lanes to connect Uptown to the South Carolina state line — a $3.2 billion project anticipated to stretch 11 miles.
The plan, according to NCDOT, utilizes the “least impactful design,” and reduces impacts to the McCrorey Heights and Wesley Heights neighborhoods, Frazier Park, and Pinewood Cemetery.
“Community feedback has been critical in shaping this project, and the elevated design option balances regional mobility needs with meaningful reductions in neighborhood and environmental impacts,” said NCDOT Division 10 Engineer Felix Obregon.
What to expect
The express lanes would be built over or alongside I-77 between Brookshire Freeway (exit 11) and the South Carolina state line. The project would extend the express lanes that currently run north through Mecklenburg County toward Mooresville, creating a continuous corridor through Charlotte.
The lanes are expected to be funded through a public-private partnership, similar to the existing I-77 Express Lanes. While NCDOT has not announced a construction timeline, work is anticipated to begin after 2030.
Addressing community feedback
During public meetings held in late 2025, residents suggested an underground tunnel as an alternative. NCDOT reviewed major highway tunnel projects across the country and determined that relocating I-77 underground would cost 10 to 20 times the agency’s annual capital budget, making the option financially unfeasible.
Future community meetings
NCDOT plans to open a community engagement center and offer virtual office hours as the project continues to move forward. Details on meeting dates and appointment scheduling have not yet been announced.
