The Carolina Journal reports on the backdrop to the Charlotte MPO board’s announcement that it will vote on February 15 to determine whether North Carolina DOT moves ahead with a study of the addition of managed toll lanes to the I-77 corridor between Charlotte and the South Carolina border. Improving and widening the congested segment has been under discussion for years. The forthcoming MPO vote was triggered by NCDOT’s receipt last year of an unsolicited Cintra proposal to extend the managed lanes it built and operates north of Charlotte. The article looks at the public debate stirred by Cintra’s plan and how the department intends to proceed with a study if the MPO grants its approval.
