City & NCDOT Sign Agreement for I-77 South Corridor Community Benefits

Published on September 23, 2026

Several hands pointing at a map.

The City of Charlotte and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to provide a minimum of $300 million dollars in community benefits to communities around the I-77 South corridor. The MOA creates a collaborative, binding framework for advancing the I‑77 South Express Lanes Project and ensuring meaningful community benefits for Charlotte residents.

The community benefit funding will support investments identified through community engagement and could include:

  • $30 million to bring new food cooperatives to the West Boulevard, Beatties Ford and Statesville Avenue corridors, addressing longstanding food access gaps.
  • $150 million for a park cap structure and pedestrian and bicycle crossings over portions of the highway near Uptown, reconnecting neighborhoods long divided by the interstate.
  • $50 million for a new recreation center in southwest Charlotte.

Additional commitments include green space and bike lane improvements, public art installations and measures intended to protect existing homeowners and renters from displacement as the project moves forward.

NCDOT has committed to writing all community benefit obligations directly into its formal contract with the private development team, known as the Comprehensive Agreement, complete with measurable targets, regular progress reporting and consequences if commitments are not met. A joint working group of NCDOT staff, city staff and community representatives will oversee implementation across six priority areas: Economic Mobility, Neighborhood Stability and Housing, Reconnecting the Corridor, Environment and Green Space, Quality of Life and Accountability.

The MOA also commits NCDOT to reopening its Community Engagement Center and maintaining structured opportunities for public input throughout the project, including advance notice before major construction begins in any given area. A more detailed Final Community Benefits Plan will be developed jointly by NCDOT, the city and community representatives in the months ahead.

More Information

NCDOT and City of Charlotte MOA (Executed 09.22.26)(PDF, 870KB)

I-77 South FAQ

I-77 South Managed Lanes Memorandum of Agreement

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