Here’s the latest on the new I-77 exit coming for the Carolina Panthers headquarters.
State transportation leaders are ready to hear from the public on that new I-77 interchange for the Carolina Panthers.
On Thursday, the South Carolina Department of Transportation put out public notification of a 21-day comment period for the construction of a new interchange near mile marker 81. That site is between the existing Cherry/Celanese roads and Dave Lyle Boulevard interchanges.
It’s also the location where the now Charlotte-based NFL team plans to build a new team headquarters, practice site and amenities in what Rock Hill leaders say will bring $2 billion in economic development impact to the city.
“This interchange is needed to support the increased traffic volumes as a result of the Department of Commerce’s economic development project associated with the new Carolina Panthers development,” reads the SCDOT notification.
The road project will cost an estimated $90 million. A diagram with the notification shows a multi-lane bridge across I-77 connecting Paragon Way on the opposite side of I-77 to the larger, more than 200-acre headquarters site. New off ramps are shown in both directions, as are semicircle on ramps passing under the new bridge.
Public comments will be accepted through March 19. They can be mailed to Ms. Viola Covington, 955 Park St., P.O. Box 191, Columbia SC 29202 or submitted online at scdot.org. They can be emailed to covingtovf@scdot.org.
The Panthers plan has been in various stages of negotiation for more than a year. Rock Hill and York County continue work on tax incentive and development agreements related to the project.
Possibilities at the site include everything from hosted sports tournaments and a live entertainment venue to taller buildings than any presently in York County. The team also asked the city to allow sports gambling, bars open past 2 a.m. and some other features not currently legal either by city or state law.
The development plan submitted by the team outlined considerable road network improvements near the site. The team would pay to improve parts of Mt. Gallant, Cel-River, Eden Terrace and other roads.
“If you’re from Rock Hill, if you care about traffic, if you care about things done right, you should be comfortable that we’ve identified areas that we’re going to fix or improve or make things work so that this is good for all of us,” team COO Mark Hart told city economic development leaders at a retreat last fall.
There has been discussion with groups like the Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study on whether the state will fast track the Panthers interchange to the delay of ongoing or planned interstate improvements at areas like S.C. 160 in Fort Mill or Gold Hill Road near Tega Cay. Still, RFATS thus far passed each vote needed to keep the Panthers interchange project moving forward.
Funding for the new interchange is another recent topic of discussion among area road leaders. Leaders with RFATS and SCDOT stated funding details would be part of whatever deal the team and commerce department reach.
The public notification released Thursday notes only that the $90 million for engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction won’t impact other SCDOT work.
“This action does not divert any SCDOT funds and it will not compete with any other ranked and funded SCDOT projects,” it reads.
