Gov. Josh Stein issues statement on new Charlotte I-77 tolls. Here’s what he said
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Stein urges balance between traffic safety and neighborhood impacts amid I-77 debate.
- NCDOT extended community feedback period amid pushback.
- City Council joined resident calls for better transparency and communication from NCDOT.
Gov. Josh Stein says he’s listening to Charlotte’s concerns about the Interstate 77 South toll lanes project.
In his first public statement on the controversy, Stein said he was encouraged by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s decision on Monday to extend its community feedback period by several months.
“Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and that means more people are on the roads,” Stein said in a written statement. “We have to balance the public safety traffic concerns resulting from that growth with a commitment to the people who have lived in the surrounding neighborhoods for generations. We are committed to doing that work.”
State and local leaders last week called on the governor to intervene as they questioned their own authority over the project.
NCDOT was originally set to issue its first requests for proposals to four finalist companies this month, which would have been a key step in advancing the project. The agency delayed those requests until June and is instead sending “preliminary project information” to the shortlisted companies on March 13.
The department previously announced it would establish a community engagement center where residents can drop by to ask questions and learn more about the project, which NCDOT said is only about 10 to 15% finished with its design.
The announcement from NCDOT came just hours before Charlotte City Council planned to vote in favor of pausing the project, though they lacked authority to unilaterally alter the project’s timeline. It was unclear how or if the city’s vote could have changed things.
Council members last week expressed near-unanimous agreement that a pause was necessary to collect more information about the project’s impact on communities along the I-77 corridor. They joined residents in criticizing NCDOT’s process for a lack of sufficient transparency and public input.
State Sens. DeAndrea Salvador and Caleb Theodros, whose districts contain the project, reached out to Stein to request a pause. In their letter, Salvador said her family’s church was relocated due to the construction of I-77. The two senators do not want to see the same thing happen again to Charlotte’s historically Black neighborhoods.
Stein thanked the senators and all of the other leaders and residents who made their voices known.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Gov. Josh Stein issues statement on new Charlotte I-77 tolls. Here’s what he said."
