A recent proposal could bring more toll lanes to the Lake Wylie area. The proposal calls for toll lanes on the southside of Charlotte, running from Brookshire Freeway (I-277) all the way south on I-77 to the South Carolina State line. Cintra, the company behind the toll lanes on the North stretch of I-77 from Brookshire Freeway to Moresville submitted an unsolicited proposal for the project.
Toll lanes can be controversial, especially when the rates for the lanes vary with the density of traffic. They can feel like “highway robbery” and at times are not any faster than the non-toll lanes. But, for those with the money, toll lanes can get you where you want to go a lot faster. Getting rid of toll booths in favor of rfid tags or pay by plate options became the norm during the Covid pandemic and have made toll lanes even faster and more convenient.
It remains to be seen if this unsolicited proposal becomes a big construction headache. There are many steps to the process before any project would begin. NCDOT or North Carolina Department of Transportation needs to review the proposal and funding would need to be arranged before any work would be completed. After that would be planning and measuring and design before they ever break ground on a project. Cintra estimates that if they clear all of those hurdles, they could begin work in the middle of 2024 with a completion estimate of mid-2029. But the toll lanes on the northern stretch were plagued with cost and time overruns so the mid-2029 timeline could be optimistic.
We would assume that the same company will take care of payments on any future lanes so once again people can sign up for a NCQuickPass. The pass will work on all express lanes around the area including the Monroe Expressway, I-77 toll lanes, and any future projects like toll lanes on I-485.
To learn more about this issue or to learn about buying or selling a home in the Lake Wylie area, call us at 803-831-8588. You can view current listings and create custom searches on our website here.
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