Skip to main content

Charlotte's worst kept secret? Cintra behind I-77 unsolicited toll plans

Image
By

When I posted about NCDOT receiving unsolicited plans for toll-managed lanes along I-77 from the Berkshire Freeway to the South Carolina State Line, a few commenters in various forums said it was obvious who the "anonymous" bidder was.  It would be Cintra - the same firm that built the infamous I-77 Express Lanes north towards Lake Norman.

Well, they were right.  It was Cintra that submitted the proposal - and WCNC-TV in Charlotte was able to get a look at it.  

The CINTRA proposal would build 9.4 miles of toll lanes at the cost of $2.3 Billion (with a B).  This proposal would include two tolled express lanes.  Cintra would not add any general purpose lanes to Interstate 77 - something that was and continues to be a sticking point with North Mecklenburg residents.

The plan would be to start construction in 2024 and complete the project in 2029.  Of course, that is, if the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) approves and requests it.  The proposal would allow Cintra to collect tolls on the new managed lanes for the next 50 years.

The proposal, embedded below, does not provide full design or conceptual drawings of the highway.  But it does go into some general detail.  It would be a design-build project.  Also, basic concepts of the construction stages and process are included.

Conceptual Unsolicited Prop... by Hank Lee

Some highlights include:

  • The managed lanes would have direct interchange access to 5th Street and Woodlawn Road.
  • It appears there may be a direct connection with Interstate 485 - the proposal discusses "new connector bridges" that would provide "ingress/egress to the [managed lanes]."
  • Two railroad bridges would be replaced - which is easier said than done (just ask Durham and I-885.)
  • Irwin Creek would be relocated.
Finally, Cintra's proposal touts what they believe are benefits to NCDOT by going forward. 
  • A $2.3 Billion project off the state's books
  • An annual avoidance of $58 million in operation and maintenance costs during the toll lanes operation.
  • A $200 million concession payment from Cintra.
Sources:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The case to move Interstate 73 in Southern Ohio onto US 33

By
Every decade or so, Ohio pushes to revisit the proposed Interstate 73 that would connect Michigan to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  It's been happening since Congress legislated the route in 1991.  Within Ohio, Interstate 73 generally follows the US 23 corridor from Portsmouth through Columbus to Toledo, and into Michigan. Since High Priority Corridor Five was created , Ohio has really done nothing to move forward with Interstate 73.  Sure, there have been feasibility studies here and there.  But actual dollars and construction just haven't occurred. The US 33 Nelsonville Bypass appears to have been built to Interstate standards. However, Ohio has been slowly upgrading US 33 to a full freeway through Southeastern Ohio.  Bypasses of Lancaster and Nelsonville opened in 2004 and 2013, respectively.  Other sections of two-lane road are being twinned, some to freeway or, at a minimum, to expressway standards.  Currently, a $274 million widening project in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Local Sign Find - The last remnant of Business Interstate 95 between Kenly and Rocky Mount , NC

By
As you head north on Interstate 95 at Exit 107 for Kenly and US 301, you'll notice something odd about the overhead sign for the exit.  Peeling off the sign for all that can see is the word 'NORTH' off-center from the US 301.  This old sign (probably close to original from when this section of I-95 opened - more on that in a little bit) gives a hint to a short-lived Business Interstate Route that ran from here to Rocky Mount. The last hint of the Kenly-Wilson-Rocky Mount Business I-95 (Shaun White - August 2020) Interstate 95 in North Carolina has a unique history.  But one of the overlooked and forgotten pieces of Interstate 95 in North Carolina is the 38 mile section between Kenly and Rocky Mount.  When opened to traffic in late 1978, it was the next to last piece of Interstate 95 in North Carolina to open replacing a four lane US 301 from Battleboro through Rocky Mount and Wilson to eventually tying back into the Interstate in Kenly. Though it was not delayed in l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nostalgia fast food with style - Returning to Rax

By
Nostalgia. It sells. It evokes, and more accurately, warps memories of days gone by.  Things were better, simpler, and we eat it up. Nostalgia can make you drive three hours and over a hundred miles out of your way just to reconnect with a dying fast-food restaurant you last enjoyed in the early to mid-90s.  That person was me - that restaurant was Rax. I could go on about Rax's history, but in short, Rax was briefly a very popular roast beef fast-food chain.  Growing up in the 80s and early 90s in Western PA, Rax was the good fast-food spot.  The milkshakes.  (Personally, the chocolate chip milkshake was heaven.)  Uncle Alligator Kids Meal with the chocolate chip cookie. Take that McDonald's Happy Meal!  The fancy salad and hot foods bar.  Going to Rax was special.  Like so many similar restaurants, various investments, management decisions, etc., led Rax to almost disappear overnight.  By the time I graduated college in late 1999, abou...
Post a Comment
Read more