NCDOT rejects I-77 tunnel concept, advancing elevated express toll lanes through Uptown Charlotte corridor
NCDOT selects an elevated option for I-77 South Express Lanes
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has ruled out underground tunnel concepts for adding new managed lanes on Interstate 77 through Uptown Charlotte, instead moving forward with an elevated express-lane design described by the agency as the “least impactful” option identified during a year-long engagement process.
The decision relates to the I-77 South Express Lanes project, a proposed 11-mile corridor improvement extending from the I-277/N.C. 16 (Brookshire Freeway) area south to the South Carolina state line. The project’s stated purpose is to manage congestion by providing a more reliable travel-time option while maintaining existing free general-purpose lanes.
What the elevated design would do in Uptown
NCDOT’s selected approach for the Uptown segment places the new express lanes either over the existing interstate footprint or along the side of the existing roadway. The agency says that configuration reduces property and community impacts compared with other options evaluated and helps avoid impacts to several sensitive community and cultural sites along the corridor.
- Reduced impacts to McCrorey Heights and Wesley Heights, two historically Black neighborhoods near the corridor
- Minimized effects on Frazier Park
- Avoided impacts to Pinewood Cemetery
Why tunnels were rejected
Tunnel concepts were discussed publicly as an alternative to above-ground construction, drawing comparisons to large urban tunneling projects in other U.S. cities. NCDOT said it reviewed comparable projects and concluded that relocating I-77 underground would be cost-prohibitive and operationally burdensome.
NCDOT estimates tunnel construction would cost billions of dollars per mile and require annual maintenance costs exceeding $50 million.
The agency also stated that those figures would far exceed available transportation budgets for the region, including maintenance funding used for routine roadway and bridge upkeep.
Project governance and delivery structure
The project is being advanced within North Carolina’s toll-project framework, which requires local planning approval. The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization first submitted the corridor for prioritization in 2014, and the project appears in the 2026–2035 State Transportation Improvement Program under the identifier I-5718.
In October 2024, the local planning board requested that NCDOT proceed using a public-private partnership delivery model. NCDOT has said private firms will be asked to propose additional design refinements during procurement to further reduce impacts where feasible.
What happens next
NCDOT says design work and environmental review activities remain underway, including field studies intended to identify potential human and natural-environment impacts such as traffic-noise effects. The agency has also indicated it plans continued community engagement, including additional public-facing opportunities later in 2026 as the project moves forward.