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I've just recently returned to Atlanta from visiting Winston-Salem, and I avoided using I-77 both ways to avoid the insane congestion going into Charlotte from Lake Norman. Like here in the Atlanta metro area, express lanes are being constructed, with a huge difference. They're privately owned, which means the tolls paid will enrich corporate pockets instead of flowing back to the state like it does here by way of the Georgia Toll Road Authority. Even more appalling, if the state wants to build additional general purpose lanes, they actually have to pay a fine to the road company managing the toll lanes, since it might eat into their profits.
As a former resident of North Carolina, this really grinds my gears.
How did the good people of this state allow such an atrocity to take place? If I was governor, I'd void that contract and take those lanes back for the public, corporate investment be dammed.
Thank goodness I-85 going NE from Charlotte is being expanded to a glorious 8 lanes, with no bogus toll express lanes, so this is the route I'll be using from now on with my visits to my folks. Even with the ongoing construction on the final 12-mile stretch, traffic moved at the speed limit of 60 mph, which is far better than the mess on 77.
Anyone on here care to explain why this travesty on 77 is allowed to take place, and whether or not this will be perpetuated on other roads in the state?
"The I-77 project will add express toll lanes from uptown to Exit 36 in Iredell County. It was a key issue in last fall’s governor’s race, and some have linked the issue to Democrat Roy Cooper’s narrow victory over the incumbent, Republican Pat McCrory.
McCrory has said the DOT was following the wishes of the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, which supported the toll lanes on several occasions.
But the local governments affected most by the toll lanes rejected the project. On the last vote in early 2016, the towns of Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville and Pineville, and Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties voted no. The city of Charlotte voted yes."
The way I understand it is that if/when the toll road crooks don't make the money agreed to in the contract, then the taxpayers of NC will pay them!
you are correct, there is always a minimum ROI that needs to be made for any investor.
Of course there is no cap on max side, a "share the top" program where excess should be split with local government (any business deal should have that in place once the return exceeds payoffs rqd)..
But since our politicians are no business people (to actually negotiate and protect taxpayers), they can be easily bought with small "incentives".
Thank goodness I-85 going NE from Charlotte is being expanded to a glorious 8 lanes, with no bogus toll express lanes, so this is the route I'll be using from now on with my visits to my folks. Even with the ongoing construction on the final 12-mile stretch, traffic moved at the speed limit of 60 mph, which is far better than the mess on 77.
I guess it depends on where your folks live in the greater Winston-Salem Metroplex, but wouldn't I-85 to US-52 be a shorter route than I-77 to I-40?
(I realize there is still construction on I-85 at the "bottle neck")
Thank goodness I-85 going NE from Charlotte is being expanded to a glorious 8 lanes, with no bogus toll express lanes, so this is the route I'll be using from now on with my visits to my folks. Even with the ongoing construction on the final 12-mile stretch, traffic moved at the speed limit of 60 mph, which is far better than the mess on 77.
If you want to keep taking I-40, just use 321 instead of 77 to get to I-85.
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If I was governor, I'd void that contract and take those lanes back for the public, corporate investment be dammed. 
