The project to add toll lanes to I-77 has been highly controversial, drawing parallels to past highway expansions that tore down Black neighborhoods.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ The Black Political Caucus (BPC) plans to file a restraining order against the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) in efforts to stop the highway expansion project of I-77 on Monday.ย
BPC says it plans to file a temporary restraining order so any unresolved legal or community concerns can be heard before irreversible decisions are made.ย
The highway project proposes to add elevated toll lanes to 11 miles of I-77 South, from uptown Charlotte to the South Carolina border. The project plans were submitted over ten years ago but were delayed due to lack of funding. Most recently, plans have been moving through the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) since June 2025.ย
While the NCDOT calls the current proposal the “least impactful” design for the neighborhoods it would build over, Charlotte residents have pushed back at town halls and city council meetings.ย
At multiple city events, residents packed the room and voiced opposition to the project, recalling past Charlotte expansion thatย tore down historic Black neighborhoods, like Brooklyn, now known as Brooklyn Village in Uptown, and gentrification that pushed Black residents out of their homes.ย
Charlotte councilmember Malcolm Graham, who represents the neighborhoods that would be impacted, such as Wesley Heights, historic West End and more, held a town hall in early February that he ended early due to overwhelming opposition to the expansion.ย
Since then, city councilmembers have called for a pause to the project, however, NCDOT has authority over the project. The department said before that delays in the project could lead to a loss of $700 million in the Charlotte region.ย
The Black Political Caucus said the restraining order is necessary to ensure transparency, accountability and community concerns are upheld.ย
โThis action is about creating space for review and accountability before the process moves any further,โ a BPC representative said.ย
The Black Political Caucus will hold a press conference discussing the restraining order at 10:30 a.m.
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