Cost goes up to reopen Independence Blvd. bus lanes

CHARLOTTE — The two bus lanes sitting in the middle of Independence Boulevard in east Charlotte will remain unused for the foreseeable future, and the city is now facing an even higher price tag to get them reopened.

Charlotte City Council will vote on Monday to spend another $950,000 on the project to reopen the bus lanes that connect the southeast corridor to Uptown.

The city had shut down the bus lanes years ago for construction related to the city’s streetcars, but the North Carolina Department of Transportation says the city has to relocate the lane opening closer to the John Belk Interchange and Brookshire Boulevard. That’s because when the Hawthorne Lane bridge was built, the center pier was placed in the eastbound bus lane.

The lanes were originally supposed to reopen this year, and now the city says there are higher-than-expected construction costs, along with contractor shortages.

If the council approves the additional funding, the lanes are estimated to reopen in the middle of 2024, according to NCDOT.

(WATCH: Plans to relieve congestion on Independence Boulevard include optional toll lanes)

Plans to relieve congestion on Independence Boulevard include optional toll lanes Plans to relieve congestion on Independence Boulevard include optional toll lanes

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