The Mecklenburg Union Metropolitan Planning Organization voted unanimously Wednesday night to add the N.C. DOT’s proposed I-77 widening project to the region’s long-range transportation plan and priority list. The vote was uneventful, but the meeting wasn’t, as toll opponents packed a meeting room in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center continuing their fight against the widening project. Read the full story

Members of Widen I-77 asked passersby on the Davidson Village Green Thursday to sign a petition against toll lanes on I-77. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

In meeting after meeting in recent months, state and local leaders have said plans are moving forward to widen I-77 north of Charlotte in the next few years by adding toll lanes. Just last week, state House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Cornelius) told toll-lane opponents at the state capitol that the state’s plan to hire a private company to build and operate high-occupancy toll lanes is happening, and it’s the best option for widening the road soon.

Still, opponents in the Lake Norman area are fighting on, holding public meetings and trying to build a following. Last Thursday, several members of the group Widen I-77 were out on the Davidson Village Green asking passersby to sign an anti-toll petition. And this Wednesday, April 3, they’ll host another public meeting on the issue. Read the full story

Citizens sat one side of the John Mack Center meeting room in rows of chairs holding signs. Elected officials sat at round tables on the other side of the room. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

MOORESVILLE – More than a hundred residents packed a meeting room in Mooresville Wednesday night, many holding signs protesting the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s plan for High Occupancy Toll Lanes, or HOT Lanes, on I-77 from Charlotte north to Mooresville.

About 40 elected and appointed officials from around the region also were there. The Lake Norman Transportation Commission organized the meeting at the Charles Mack Citizens Center to give local officials a chance to learn more about the widening project. Specifically, they outlined the DOT’s plans to contract with a private company to finance, build and operate the toll lane project, through what’s known as a public-private partnership, or P3. Read the full story

Interstate-485 will finally become a complete loop next year, and some northern sections will feature unusual interchange designs. State and federal transportation officials talked about the project recently while standing at the edge of one of the new interchanges.

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NC DOT officials answered citizens’ questions about plans for widening I-77 north of Charlotte Wednesday during a public meeting at Hunterville Town Hall. The Charlotte Observer reports that officials say the plan for High Occupancy Toll lanes, or HOT lanes, will help expand the highway sooner. Read the full story

June Washam Road in east Davidson is now open into the River Run Phase 5 neighborhood. Here’s a view north into the new neighborhood. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Updated Feb. 25, 2013
Barriers blocking traffic on the north end of June Washam Road have come down as construction begins on the first homes in River Run Phase 5, now known as The Reserve at River Run. The opening creates a new connection between Davidson-Concord Road, near N.C. 73, and Shearers Road. Read the full story

The N.C. Department of Transportation and the Town of Huntersville will hold a public meeting and workshop Wednesday afternoon in Huntersville on plans for widening I-77 north of Charlotte. Read the full story

Officials and citizens looked at a map of the proposed HOT lanes north of Charlotte at a May workshop at Cornelius Town Hall. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The state Department of Transportation’s proposal to adopt toll lanes to help finance a widening of I-77 north of Charlotte continues to draw attention in north Mecklenburg, in public and private settings. A divided Cornelius Town Board again this week declined to take a public position against the idea. And next week, the North Meck Republican Women will host a meeting Tuesday that will feature an outspoken critic of toll lanes.
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