Bidding is being planned for the I-77 express lanes project in North Carolina. Adding two lanes in either direction along an 18km stretch of I-77 is expected to cost around $3.2 billion. The project is expected to be the most costly road upgrade in the history of North Carolina.
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is managing the project and is planning the tender process. The new I-77 express lanes will run southwards from Charlotte, between I-277/NC 16 to the state border with South Carolina.
The work is needed as the existing I-77 route south of Charlotte is heavily congested and has a poor record for road safety, with a significantly higher rate of collisions than average for the US. The high traffic volumes are a key factor in the poor safety record. In addition to the new express lanes, the upgrade work will include revamping the design of interchanges along the route to cut the number of collisions.
Meanwhile, work is due for completion shortly on the $345 million project to add express lanes on I-485 to the south of Charlotte between I-77 and US 74. This project is also adding a general-purpose lane in each direction between Rea and Providence roads.
