CHARLOTTE, N.C. —The Interstate 77 South Express Lanes project could threaten nearly a dozen Mecklenburg County parks, greenways and the local environment, according to county leaders.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is proposing building toll lanes along an 11-mile stretch of I-77 from Uptown Charlotte to South Carolina. According to Mecklenburg County leaders, if the project moves forward as proposed, 11 county parks would be disrupted by the toll lane’s expansion. Wilmore Park and Frazier Park would see the biggest impacts. Frazier Park’s tennis courts, basketball courts and dog park would need to be relocated or removed. Wilmore Park would be eliminated.
“There would really be no functional park remaining in this location,” said Bert Lynn, Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation’s Capital Planning Division director.
The $3.2 billion project could also impact the historic Charles Sifford Golf Course and several greenways, force creeks to be relocated, affect water quality in streams and create pollution near the interstate.
“Our pollution data that we’ve collected at our regulatory model monitors reveals that in 2025, particulate matter concentrations were 19% higher in the near road environment compared to other sites around the county,” said Megan Green, Mecklenburg County’s air quality manager.
While the I-77 project has been discussed for months, Mecklenburg County commissioners claim NCDOT never mentioned it would have such widespread environmental impacts.
“NCDOT disclosed none of these impacts to the Board of County Commissioners or to Mecklenburg County Parks and Rec,” said Leigh Altman, the vice chair of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners.
“We need to stop this project,” said Laure Meier, the District 5 representative for the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners.
“Stay out of our parks,” said Elaine Powell, the District 1 representative for the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. “Stay out of our parks. Leave them alone.”
NCDOT issued the following statement in response to Mecklenburg County leaders’ concerns:
“At this stage, the project design is currently only about 10-15% complete, and the maps being referenced establish an initial project footprint that serves as a starting point for design and is required as part of the federal environmental review process. Community feedback gathered during this time will help shape the next phase of design to ensure the project incorporates what’s important to the community, including parks and green spaces. As the project moves forward, shortlisted developer teams will compete to propose designs that reduce impacts and incorporate community priorities. Protecting neighborhoods, businesses, parks and greenways will be a crucial factor in how proposals are evaluated.”
Those who enjoy Mecklenburg county’s outdoor areas hope NCDOT pumps the brakes on plans to infringe on the parks they know and love.
“I-77 has always been a problem for everybody,” Taylor Barr said. “Honestly, I’d be very disappointed. I think a lot of people would be if they got rid of these kinds of parks in Charlotte.”
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