Mayor Pro Tem Michael Osborne said it “makes sense” to show express lanes on I-77 near Lake Norman can relieve congestion before taking on another project.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the debate over the future of the controversial Interstate 77 toll lane project heats up, another Mecklenburg County town is joining the effort to stop the proposal.
Michael Osborne, mayor pro tem for the town of Cornelius, told WCNC Charlotte that until it’s shown the existing toll lanes through Lake Norman can improve I-77 congestion, there’s no reason to start another project.
“Some studies show that the P3 managed lane corridor in the north remains the No. 1 worst bottleneck in North Carolina and one of the worst in the country,” Osborne said in a statement. “In addition, there is a higher than acceptable accident rate and a road improvement (shoulder hardening) project that was part of the original toll lane approval process that has yet to move forward.”
Osborne said the existing tolls don’t relieve congestion when there’s an accident on I-77.
RELATED: VERIFY: Do toll lanes on I-77 become free during major crashes?
“When the interstate backs up, it floods the secondary streets in our community with additional traffic that our infrastructure can not handle,” Osborne said. “We do believe that it makes sense to demonstrate the existing P3 managed lanes on I77 can help relieve interstate congestion before taking on another P3 project.”
Osborne’s statement comes just days after the Charlotte City Council voted 6-5 to rescind its support for the tolls. Despite the council’s move, Charlotte City Council does not have the power to stop the project. That authority lies with the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, known as the CRTPO. Osborne said he’s unaware of any scheduled CRTPO vote on the project, but the organization is scheduled to meet again on May 20.
Should the project move forward, it would add express lanes along I-77 from Uptown Charlotte to the South Carolina state line. Debate over the plan has intensified in recent weeks as critics question whether expanding toll infrastructure is the best long-term solution for congestion and growth in the Charlotte region. Supporters of the original project have argued that the lanes are necessary to address increasing traffic demands and preserve state transportation funding opportunities.
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