Without Cintra, Chalotte I-77 South Toll Lanes Could Take 25 years...

....if the stars align.

Earlier this week, the Charlotte Ledger had a story about the possible extension of the I-77 Toll Lanes south to the South Carolina line. Recently, Cintra, the company that built the toll lanes from Uptown Charlotte to Mooresville, submitted an unsolicited bid to construct and operate the toll lanes themselves.

Cintra says that if awarded a contract, they could have the toll lanes up and running by 2029. They would then operate the toll lanes on a 50-year lease. NCDOT says it would be in 2029 that they could begin to acquire the right of way. NCDOT also estimated it would take another 15 years to secure all the funding necessary to start construction. Apparently, the state has rules on the available amount of money that can go to a specific project or corridor at one time.

This news led to major heartburn for local leaders, who conceded that on a road that currently averages 160,000 vehicles per day with traffic at or above capacity seven to 11 hours a day, something may need to be done sooner. NCDOT predicts that by 2050 traffic will reach an average of 185,000 vehicles per day, and the highway at or beyond peak capacity 15-17 hours of the day. I need to tell my kids that they better find another way to take their kids to Carowinds in 2040.

So the question is: Do local leaders want to risk the headaches of another contract with Cintra? Or do they sit and wait for NCDOT to hopefully start construction in 20-25 years - hope that the schedule stays on target - and then look for additional funding resources to improve or even hold the timeline. It'll be worth watching; meanwhile, you may want to grab a Snickers.

Sources:

Mecia, Tony. "Adding lanes to I-77 south of uptown could take until 2045 or later, NCDOT says; momentum for privately run toll lanes?" Charlotte Ledger. September 26, 2022.

Comments

When did people begin to refer to the "Ridge Route" as "The Grapevine?" (former US Route 99 and Interstate 5)

The segment of US Route 99 from Los Angeles north to Bakersfield was traditionally known in State Highway documents as the "Ridge Route." Even as the Ridge Route was transitioning from curvy mountain grade to the facility now occupied by Interstate 5nthe name largely persisted in California Highways & Public Works documents. During modern times the name "Ridge Route" has be usurped in popular lexicon in favor to the nickname known as "The Grapevine." This blog will attempt to decipher the origins of "The Grapevine" and how it came into popular use today. Featured as the blog cover photo is a view of Interstate 5 in Grapevine Canyon and former US Route 99 at Deadman's Curve of the Ridge Route. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Note:

US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway

The communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway can all be found along US Route 101 within southern Humboldt County. The former surface alignment of US Route 101 in Garberville and Redway once crossed the Garberville Bluffs along what is now Redwood Drive via a corridor constructed as part of the Redwood Highway during the 1910s. US Route 101 through Benbow, Garberville and Redway was modernized by 1935. US Route 101 would eventually be upgraded to freeway standards in Benbow, Garberville and Redway by extension of the Redwood Freeway during 1966-68. As the cover photo the original grade of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway can be seen at the Garberville Bluffs during 1934. US Route 101 can be seen in the communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County . The history of US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway Benbow, Garberville and Redway lie on the banks of the South Fork Eel River of southern Humboldt County. D

Old Stage Road in Tulare County and Kern County

Old Stage Road is an approximately 30-mile rural highway comprised of Tulare County Mountain Road 1, Kern County Mountain Road 447 and Tulare County Mountain Road 109. Old Stage originates at Jack Ranch Road near Posey and ends at the outskirts of Porterville at Deer Creek. Old Stage Road notably is comprised of two 19th Century stage routes. From White Mountain Road northwest to Fountain Springs, Old Stage Road overlays Thomas Baker's 1860s era stage road to Linn Valley (now Glennville) and the Kern River Gold Rush Claims. From Fountain Springs to Deer Creek, Old Stage Road is comprised of the 1853 Stockton-Los Angeles Road. Featured as the blog cover is the northward descent on Old Stage Road along Arrastre Creek to the town site of White River. What became White River was settled along a spur of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road as "Dog Town" when gold was discovered nearby. By 1856 the community had been renamed Tailholt. A stage road from Tailholt to Linn Valley w

Gribblenation

Search This Blog