At the request of the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, or CRTPO, the N.C. Department of Transportation and its advisors conducted a comparative analysis of both Public-Private-Partnership (P3) and Traditional Toll (N.C. Turnpike Authority) delivery methods for the I-77 South Express Lanes project in Mecklenburg County, identified as I-5718 A&B in the
State Transportation Improvement Program.
Per state law, toll projects in North Carolina must be approved by the local planning organization. This project was submitted to state prioritization by CRTPO in 2014.
NCDOT will continue partnering with CRTPO, providing requested information to help the board make an informed decision on a delivery method, as the region knows what is best for their communities. NCDOT is not advocating for a particular path forward to deliver this project.
In October 2024, the CRTPO board voted for NCDOT to continue with a public-private partnership delivery process. A working group made up of CRTPO board members and NCDOT staff was created to discuss project objectives and identify potential key terms prior to a future Request for Qualifications that NCDOT would advertise in the summer of 2025 for private companies to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project.
Work group meetings started in November 2024 and will continue to mid-2025.