Charlotte’s I-77 toll lane decision will impact York County drivers for years

North Carolina officials face a $3.2 billion decision on whether to add toll lanes on Interstate 77 South, but South Carolina drivers will feel the effects of it for decades, too.

Interchange upgrades at Carowinds Boulevard and even the future of South Carolina toll lanes in the region could hinge on what happens in Charlotte.

“We’re really looking for clarity on what their next step is,” said David Hooper, administrator with the Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study.

Last week, Charlotte City Council voted 6-5 to withdraw its support for a plan that would add 11 miles of toll lanes between the city and the South Carolina line, the Charlotte Observer reported. Funding was approved two years ago, but there’s been debate on the project’s impact to homes, parks and neighboring areas along the route.

That vote took many people by surprise on both sides of the state line, Hooper told The Herald.

For his group, which allocates federal money to urbanized areas in York and Lancaster counties, uncertainty in Charlotte means waiting and monitoring.

I-77S toll lane impact of Charlotte decision

South Carolina, historically hesitant to entertain the idea of toll lanes, began work this spring to allow “choice lanes” in the state. They essentially are toll lanes, and were spurred in some part by the I-77 crossing into South Carolina. The interstate at Carowinds is South Carolina’s busiest roadway.

Last November, South Carolina Transportation Secretary Justin Powell discussed plans with The Herald for a $3 million study on the area from Gold Hill Road to the North Carolina line aimed at coordinating with the North Carolina project. It would look at extending tolls into York County.

South Carolina was having “whether-the-math-works discussions,” Powell said, related both to road funding and the driving experience for York County motorists.

“My interest is in effective border crossings so that right now the morning backup doesn’t get flipped to an afternoon backup,” Powell said last fall.

Road planners in South Carolina still look to have the right crossover infrastructure in place at the state line, Hooper said. That could mean toll lane connections, or coordinated work on public transit if North Carolina officials shift their focus.

The main interest is broad compatibility with whatever North Carolina does, Hooper said.

Carowinds Boulevard upgrades impacted by Charlotte

Two years ago, Gov. Henry McMaster came to Carowinds to announce $2 million for a corridor study along Carowinds Boulevard.

An interchange upgrade has received funding the past decade to, at some point, get an expansion. It would join a long list of recent interchange upgrades in York County that includes completed work at Gold Hill Road’s Exit 88 and the former Carolina Panthers headquarters site at Exit 81.

Exit 85 between Kingsley and Baxter is under construction in Fort Mill. Exit 82 at Cherry and Celanese roads in Rock Hill is in the planning phase for expansion. There’s also been discussion among road planners about upgrading Exit 77 in Rock Hill.

The North Carolina plan for its side of I-77 is the type of information a feasibility study for the Carowinds Boulevard interchange would look to provide.

“Of course we need to have clarity on what their plans are for moving forward before we can take that next step,” Hooper said.

South Carolina awaits more info on I-77 toll lane decision

While South Carolina looked at connecting into the toll lane project, 90% of what’s happening with I-77 is on the North Carolina side. It’s more monitoring than it is advocating on the South Carolina end, Hooper said.

North Carolina needs time to reach consensus, he said. And while that process leaves South Carolina with little to do but wait, it’s important for communities to come together to make the best decision, he said.

“In this case it’s toll lanes, but it could be any project,” Hooper said. “If you’re considering doing what would amount to the largest project in (North Carolina) history — whether it’s toll lanes, transit or interchanges — you do want to take a step back and make sure you’ve got the right kind of buy in across the region before you proceed.”

This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 11:19 AM.