CORNELIUS, N.C. — The group put together to help figure out the future of the controversial Interstate-77 toll lanes met for the first time Wednesday behind closed doors.
“It doesn’t give anybody much hope that things are going to be less politicized than they have been already,” Cornelius resident Michelle Ferlauto told Channel 9.
Eyewitness News anchor Liz Foster asked officials why the meeting was closed to the public and Channel 9. She was told even though several of the group members are elected, it’s not a governing board, which is why the group was able to have a private meeting.
Just months before construction on I-77 is supposed to wrap up, the new advisory group will help decide whether to cancel the contract for toll lanes.
“What I want to see is a viable way we can cancel this contract and widen I-77 with general purpose lanes,” said Kurt Naas, who serves as a Cornelius town commissioner and is on the new advisory committee. Other group members include representatives from other nearby cities and Chambers of Commerce.
Past toll lane coverage:
- Cancellation of I-77 tolls could potentially cost NC millions, study says
- NCDOT to make changes to I-77 toll lane work zone
- Cooper's DOT secretary choice not sitting well with I-77 toll lane opponents
- I-77 toll lane construction impacts homeless camps
- 9 investigates costly impact of I-77 tolls as businesses leave
- $1.36M fine levied on I-77 toll lane contractor by NCDOT
- Road assistance to be offered in toll-lane construction zone
- 'Complete and delete' option would open I-77 lanes without toll charge
Several people were upset they were not allowed to listen to the group’s first meeting Wednesday.
“They were trying to reinstall confidence in a public process and having public input, making it more transparent. This totally contradicts what the original goal was,” Ferlauto said.
The President of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce told Foster the reason for the closed door meeting is so group members could share openly and honestly without tempering their remarks.
The Secretary of NCDOT, James Trogden III, said at the end of the process with the advisory group, the department will welcome more public comment. But for now, the goal is to figure out what is best in the long run for the $650-million construction project from uptown Charlotte to Iredell County.
“Nothing is off the table and so what we’re starting to do is that deep analysis on ‘ok how much is the cost of this, what’s the timeline,” Trogden told Channel 9.
The advisory group is looking at six different options for the construction project, all of which were outlined in a study by an outside consultant last year.
[I-77 Advisory Board Presentation]
More information about the construction project overall can be found here.
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