Republican state Sen. Vickie Sawyer has proposed legislation that would require Charlotte and other local governments to repay $60 million to the state if they don’t reverse course and support proposed privately built and managed Interstate 77 toll lanes in south Charlotte.
The proposal comes after the Charlotte City Council and the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization voted in May 2026 to rescind their support for the project.
Sawyer, who represents Iredell and north Mecklenburg counties, has drafted an amendment that would require Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and other local governments that withdrew support for the I‑77 South tolls to reimburse the N.C. Department of Transportation for design costs if they do not reinstate their backing. The state has said those costs total $60 million.
If local governments do not pay, they would lose Powell Bill funding, which is used for street resurfacing, as well as new state funding for road projects.
The amendment also would prevent the NCDOT from removing the I‑77 South toll lanes from its list of approved projects until January 2027, effectively creating a deadline for local officials to reconsider.
Sawyer and other Republicans said Charlotte made a mistake in pulling its support, noting that about $700 million had been set aside for the project after more than a decade of planning.
“This has been vetted, supported and will be in the budget,” Sawyer said on her radio show on Friday. “This is me being kind to the city of Charlotte and to those communities who did vote to rescind their vote. … This is not a joke. You will lose this.”
Different stance north
Sawyer’s proposal highlights a sharp contrast with her position on the existing I‑77 toll lanes in north Mecklenburg and Iredell counties, which opened in 2019 and are also privately managed.
She has been a vocal critic of those lanes, saying residents still face heavy congestion unless they pay tolls.
“My community continues to suffer from gridlock on I‑77 North, where the only current means of relief is to pay astronomical and predatory tolls to a foreign company,” Sawyer said.
Her draft legislation calls on the state to study ways to buy out the 50‑year contract with Cintra, the Spanish company that operates the I‑77 North toll lanes.
Similar projects
The north and south I‑77 toll lane projects share key similarities.
Both involve private companies building and managing the lanes, with the companies collecting nearly all toll revenue. The I‑77 North project added limited new toll‑free capacity, and the proposed I‑77 South project would add none.
Transportation officials have said they would try to negotiate toll caps for the southern project, though no details have been released. On I‑77 North, tolls can exceed $30 one way and fluctuate based on traffic conditions.
Based on toll structures on I‑77 North and state‑run lanes on Interstate 485, commuters to uptown Charlotte could pay roughly $20 to $25 for a one‑way trip.
Criticism and confusion
Critics say Sawyer’s positions are difficult to reconcile.
Robert Dawkins, political director of Action NC, who has opposed toll lanes, said he does not understand why Sawyer would push for privately operated toll lanes in south Charlotte while opposing a similar arrangement in her own district.
“I think Charlotte‑Mecklenburg is tired of Raleigh trying to bully them into making decisions,” Dawkins said. “And when the person who is trying to bully you admits they agree with you, that’s pretty confusing.”
Sawyer said she would prefer both projects be controlled by the state turnpike authority, but has not proposed a mechanism in her amendment to do that for the southern project.
Meanwhile, buying out the I‑77 North contract could be costly.
The toll lanes generate about $120 million a year, and the agreement with Cintra runs for another 43 years. That could put the total future value of the agreement at roughly $13 billion — a buyout that would far exceed the $60 million repayment proposed in Sawyer’s legislation.
