 Interstate 77 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 I-77 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byNCDOT | ||||
| Length | 105.7 mi[1][2] (170.1 km) | |||
| Existed | 1965–present | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   I-77 /US 21 at theSouth Carolina line nearFort Mill, SC | |||
| Major intersections |
| |||
| North end | I-77 at theVirginia line near Mount Airy | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | North Carolina | |||
| Counties | Mecklenburg,Iredell,Yadkin,Surry | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Interstate 77 (I-77) is a part of theInterstate Highway System that runs 610.10 miles (981.86 km) fromCayce, South Carolina toCleveland, Ohio. In theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina, I-77 travels a total of 105.7 miles (170.1 km) from theSouth Carolina state line in the city ofCharlotte to theVirginia state line north ofMount Airy. The major landscapes traversed by I-77 include the city of Charlotte and itsurban core, the smaller suburban communities in thePiedmont region, and the rural foothills ofWestern North Carolina. The Interstate has one auxiliary route,I-277, a partial beltway around Uptown Charlotte.
The freeway bears several names in addition to the I-77 designation. Throughout the state, the freeway is known as theBlue Star Memorial Highway, aname shared with multiple Interstates across the state. Starting at the South Carolina state line, it is known as theGeneral Paul R. Younts Expressway, switching at Woodlawn Road to theBill Lee Freeway, ending at theMecklenburg–Iredell county line. InSurry County, it is known as theCharles M. Shelton Highway.[3][4][5] Not originally part of theFederal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, I-77 was added the following year as a route between Charlotte andPort Huron, Michigan, viaDetroit, Michigan. In 1958, the routing was realigned toward Cleveland instead; the Detroit–Port Huron section became part ofI-94. I-77 received two extension approvals; the first in 1964, continuing south fromI-85 toUS Route 74 (US 74), and the second in 1969 to the South Carolina state line toward Columbia. The Interstate was completed in 1977.
I-77 begins at theSouth Carolina state line, nearFort Mill, in concurrency withUS 21. I-77 goes through the city of Charlotte as a major north–south corridor, connectingUptown Charlotte with the suburbs ofPineville,Huntersville,Cornelius, andDavidson. Shortly after entering North Carolina, it expands to six lanes. BetweenI-485 (exit 2) andI-277 (exit 9), the highway experiences massive traffic congestion during weekday rush hours (7:00–9:30 am/4:00–6:30 pm) due to commuter traffic. I-77 later encounters the other end of I-277 at exit 11, with the northbound carriageway briefly splitting from the southbound one and making an S-curve underneath I-277 due to the presence of left-hand exit ramps (southbound has a straight-through setup). Just north of Uptown Charlotte, I-77 makes a unique interchange configuration withI-85 (exit 13), with north and southbound lanes crisscrossing briefly. Between I-85 and I-485 (exit 19), I-77 featured the state's onlyhigh-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, but, since 2019, they have been converted toexpress lanes that extend for 26 miles (42 km). After I-485, I-77 reduces to five lanes (three lanes northbound), then to four lanes after Gilead Road (exit 23).
AtLake Norman, I-77 crosses intoIredell County and becomes a more suburban Interstate, passing throughMooresville and thenStatesville, where it intersects withI-40. It gradually becomes more rural outside of Statesville, becoming entirely rural after exiting Iredell County. For the rest of I-77's stretch through North Carolina, the only possible rest stop is the town ofElkin; the speed limit through this area is 70 mph (110 km/h). The final five miles (8.0 km) of I-77 is concurrent withI-74 to theVirginia state line (where I-74 ends), all within view of theBlue Ridge Mountains.[1]
The I-77 Express lanes were financed, developed, and constructed and are operated and maintained byI-77 Mobility Partners, in apublic–private partnership with theNorth Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The express lanes replaced the first and onlyHOV lanes in North Carolina, which existed from 2004 to 2015.[6][7][8]
The 26-mile (42 km)high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes are contained entirely within themedian of I-77, with various connecting points to and from the general purpose lanes and direct access to northbound I-85 and southbound I-277/North Carolina Highway 16 (NC 16; Brookshire Freeway). The express lanes begin with four lanes (two lanes for each direction) at Brookshire Freeway (exit 11), in Charlotte; reduce to two lanes (one lane for each direction) at Catawba Avenue (exit 28), in Cornelius; and end atNC 150 (exit 36), near Mooresville. The tentative maximum speed limit is 65 mph (105 km/h) with a minimum speed limit at 45 mph (72 km/h).[9] There are two exits in the stretch that are exclusive to the express lanes: at Lakeview Road in Charlotte and at Hambright Road in Huntersville.
Only vehicles with two axles or motorcycles are allowed on the express lanes. Emergency vehicles when responding to emergencies and mass transit vehicles are exempt and are not tolled.[9]
On June 1, 2019, the first portion of the I-77 Express lanes opened between Hambright Road in Huntersville and NC 150 in Mooresville. The remainder of the I-77 Express lanes south to I-277 in Charlotte were open in November 2019.[10][11]
The express lanes usesall-electronic tolling, with tolls payable with a validtransponder (NC Quick Pass,E-ZPass,Peach Pass, orSunPass) orbill by mail, which usesautomatic license plate recognition and charge a higher rate with additional fees. Toll rates are based on adynamic pricing, which means toll prices will fluctuate periodically throughout the day based on real-time traffic conditions and demand to maintain an average travel speed of 48 mph (77 km/h); toll rate changes may occur as frequently as every five minutes, though drivers will only pay the rate displayed when entering the express lanes.[12] When the express lanes first opened in September 2018, they used a fixed rate based on the segment and time of day for the first 180 days of operation, with a total one-way rate range within $0.30–$11.00 with valid transponder.[13]
As of March 5, 2022[update], the total one-way northbound rate will range within$2.70–$70.45 and the total one-way southbound rate will range within$2.45–$58.00 with valid transponder.[14]
Vehicles with three passengers or more may use the express lanes for free, provided they have a E-ZPass Flex Transponder or notify via the HOV mobile app/website, with at least 15 minutes before traveling. Violators are subject to a fine of up to $100 plus court costs; as well as two points against their driver's license for each HOV infraction. Motorcycle drivers with a valid transponder may use the express lanes for free.[6][9][15]
I-77 was not part of the original plans for 714 miles (1,149 km) of the nation'sInterstate Highway System in North Carolina when they were conveyed in 1956 by the then-North Carolina State Highway Commission. I-77 was added in 1957, increasing the state's mileage to 776 miles (1,249 km).[16]
On August 4, 1959, the commission selected the routing of I-77 to run betweenI-85 in Charlotte and a point on the Virginia border inElkin. That would change in late 1960 when the commission voted to route the highway just west ofMount Airy, saying the route would serve the most people.
With construction beginning in the 1960s, I-77 would gain additional mileage in October 1964 when a two-mile (3.2 km) extension was granted by the US Bureau of Public Roads. Instead of ending at I-85, I-77 now ended at Independence Boulevard (US 74) in Uptown Charlotte. Another extension was granted in the late 1960s that extended I-77 from Independence Boulevard to the South Carolina border. The latest extension also included a relocation ofUS 21 from the city's surface streets to the new Interstate.
I-77 opened to traffic in the following segments:
By 1972, I-77 was open from exit 28 (NC 73) to exit 73 north of Elkin. The last two sections of the highway to open to traffic was the stretch from Cornelius to Charlotte in 1975 and from exit 73 to the Virginia state line in 1977.
In April 2001,I-74 was overlapped with I-77 from theVirginia state line to exit 101.[17]
On December 17, 2004, I-77 was widened to six-lanes with HOV lanes, betweenI-85 to the proposed location ofI-485 (later opened December 8, 2008).[6]
On June 28, 2013, a new interchange was added inMooresville: exit 35 (Brawley School Road). The interchange was built with additional shoulder space and lights that will not need to be moved when I-77 is eventually widened in area.[18]
In 2015, NCDOT signed a contract withI-77 Mobility Partners to begin construction and eventual management of the toll lanes starting in 2018.[19] However, new criticism erupted before the financial agreement was made when local politicians discovered the contract was amended in 2014 giving I-77 Mobility Partners a 50-year noncompete clause. The clause eliminated any future widening of additional free-lanes between Uptown Charlotte and Mooresville, or, if any additional free-lanes were added, then NCDOT would have to pay the developer compensation.[20][21][22] The toll lanes between Mooresville andHuntersville opened June 1, 2019, and the last sections leading into Uptown Charlotte opened November 23 of that year.[23][11]
On February 1, 2018, NCDOT opened a new rest area located in the median of I-77, at milemarker 58. Construction of the 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) $15-million (equivalent to $19.3 million in 2024[24]) facility started in early 2015. With the opening of the facility, four older rest areas in Iredell and Yadkin counties, built in 1972–1973, were closed.[25]
On November 22, 2022, a news helicopter crashed near I-77 at Nations Ford Road in South Charlotte, killing pilot Chip Tayag and meteorologist Jason Myers, who were employees of local TV stationWBTV.[26]
The I-40/I-77 interchange (exit 51) underwent major upgrade in three phases: reconstruction of nearby intersections on both Interstates, reconstruction and widening of I-40/I-77 interchange, and construction of new ramps at the interchange.[27][28][29] The estimated cost for the entire project, including widening of a total of seven and half miles of both highways to eight lanes, is $260 million, and construction began in March 2012. The newpartial turbine interchange replaced thecloverleaf interchange which was built in the late 1960s. All lanes opened December 22, 2023, but cold weather delayed further resurfacing and pavement markings until Spring 2024.[30]
I-77 is planned to have its existing southbound travel lanes widened (not add more lanes), between I-277/NC 16 (Brookshire Freeway) to I-85 in Charlotte. Estimated to cost $16.5 million, the purpose of the project is to widen the lanes back to properInterstate standards as agreed with theFederal Highway Administration (FHWA), when NCDOT were given design exceptions when adding theHOV lanes in 2004. Construction began in late 2016.[31]
As of June 2016[update],HOT lanes are being constructed along I-77. The project is broken into two parts: the first is constructing new travel lanes from I-485 interchange (exit 19) to West Catawba Avenue (exit 28), at an estimated cost of $57 million, and the second would be to convert the existing HOV lanes from Brookshire Boulevard (exit 11) to I-485 (exit 19). After completion, drivers and motorcyclists can still use the lane for free if qualified under HOV rules; noncompliant drivers will be charged a toll.[32][33][34][35] In July 2019, NCDOT and the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization announced a project that would convert segments of I-77 shoulders to travel lanes to be used only duringpeak periods between I-485 and Mooresville.[36]
Another set of HOT lanes is currently being studied along I-77 from south of Uptown Charlotte to the South Carolina border.[37]
I-277 is the only auxiliary route in the state. The auxiliary route loops around uptown Charlotte.
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg | Charlotte | 0.00 | 0.00 |   I-77 south /US 21 south –Rock Hill,Columbia | Continuation intoSouth Carolina | |
| 0.9 | 1.4 | 1A | Westinghouse Boulevard | |||
| 1.8 | 2.9 | 1B |  I-485 –Huntersville,Pineville | Formerly exit 2 (southbound) before August 2010; I-485 exit 67 | ||
| 2.8 | 4.5 | 3 | Arrowood Road | Formerly exit 2 (northbound) before August 2010 | ||
| 3.7 | 6.0 | 4 | Nations Ford Road | |||
| 4.8 | 7.7 | 5 | Tyvola Road | Single-point urban interchange | ||
| 6.0 | 9.7 | 6A | Woodlawn Road south (Charlotte Route 4 east) –Queens University | ToPfeiffer University | ||
| 6.2 | 10.0 | 6B |    ToNC 49 (S. Tryon Street) /Billy Graham Parkway (Charlotte Route 4 west) | ToBilly Graham Library andCharlotte Douglas International Airport; southbound signed as NC 49 south (S. Tryon St. south) only | ||
| 7.3 | 11.7 | 7 | ToNC 49 / Clanton Road | |||
| 8.3 | 13.4 | 8 |  ToNC 160 / Remount Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 9.0 | 14.5 | 9A | NC 160 (West Boulevard) | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access fromcollector-distributor lanes | ||
| 9.4 | 15.1 | 9B |      I-277 north /US 74 east /NC 27 east (John Belk Freeway) | Access fromcollector-distributor lanes; I-277 exits 1B-C | ||
| 9.5 | 15.3 | 9C |   US 74 west (Wilkinson Boulevard) /NC 27 west toUS 29 | US 29 and NC 27 signed northbound only; access fromcollector-distributor lanes; US 74 exits 1B-C | ||
| 9.9 | 15.9 | 10A | US 29 (Morehead Street) toNC 27 | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; former route of NC 27 | ||
| 10.4 | 16.7 | 10 | Trade Street / Fifth Street | Signed southbound as exits 10B (Trade Street east) and 10C (Fifth Street/Trade Street west) | ||
| 11.0 | 17.7 | 11A |  I-277 south /NC 16 south (Brookshire Freeway east) –Downtown Charlotte | I-277 exits 5A-B | ||
| 11.2 | 18.0 | 11B |  NC 16 north (Brookshire Freeway west) | Left exit northbound; NC 16 exits 5A-B | ||
| — | I-77 north (Express lanes) | Southern terminus of HOV3+/toll lanes | ||||
| — | I-277 south | Express lanes only; southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
| 12.4 | 20.0 | 12 | Lasalle Street / Atando Avenue | |||
| 13.3 | 21.4 | 13 |  I-85 –Greensboro,Spartanburg | Signed as exits 13A (north) and 13B (south);hybrid interchange; I-85 exit 38 | ||
| — | I-85 north | Express lanes only; northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
| 15.8 | 25.4 | 16 |  US 21 north (Sunset Road) toNC 115 | North end of US 21 overlap; signed as exits 16A (north/east) and 16B (west) To Historic Latta Plantation/Carolina Raptor Center;parclo | ||
| — | Lakeview Road | Express lanes only | ||||
| 18.6 | 29.9 | 18 |  NC 24 (W.T. Harris Boulevard) | ToNorthlake Mall;parclo | ||
| Huntersville | 19.7 | 31.7 | 19A |  I-485 north (Inner) toI-85 north –Matthews | I-485 exits 23A-B; I-85 not signed northbound | |
| 19B | I-485 south (Outer) toI-85 south –Pineville | |||||
| — | Hambright Road | Express lanes only | ||||
| 23.0 | 37.0 | 23 | Gilead Road –Huntersville | |||
| 25.5 | 41.0 | 25 |  NC 73 –Concord,Huntersville | |||
| Cornelius | 27 | Westmoreland Road | Future interchange (unfunded)[38] | |||
| 28.3 | 45.5 | 28 | US 21 south (Catawba Avenue) –Cornelius,Lake Norman | South end of US 21 overlap, converted into adiverging diamond interchange in August 2013[39] | ||
| Davidson | 29.8 | 48.0 | 30 | Griffith Street –Davidson | ToDavidson College | |
| Lake Norman | Lake Norman Causeway | |||||
| Iredell | Mooresville | 31.7 | 51.0 | 31 | Langtree Road –Mooresville | |
| 33.3 | 53.6 | 33 | US 21 north –Lake Norman | North end of US 21 overlap | ||
| 35.0 | 56.3 | 35 | Brawley School Road | Single-point urban interchange | ||
| 36.2 | 58.3 | 36 |  NC 150 –Lincolnton,Mooresville | Planneddiverging diamond interchange[39] | ||
| — | I-77 south (Express Lanes) | Northern terminus of HOV3+/toll lanes | ||||
| | 38 | Cornelius Road | Future interchange (funded)[40] | |||
| | 41.8 | 67.3 | 42 | US 21 /NC 115 –Troutman | Half-clover interchange | |
| | 45.5 | 73.2 | 45 | Amity Hill Road –Troutman,Barium Springs | ||
| Statesville | 48.7 | 78.4 | 49A |  US 70 (Garner Bagnal Boulevard) | Half-clover interchange | |
| 49.0 | 78.9 | 49B | Statesville, Downtown | Half-clover interchange | ||
| 50.1 | 80.6 | 50 | E. Broad Street –Downtown | |||
| 51.3 | 82.6 | 51 |  I-40 –Winston-Salem,Asheville | Signed as exits 51A (east) and 51B (west) southbound; I-40 exit 152 | ||
| | 54.0 | 86.9 | 54 | US 21 –Turnersburg | ||
| | 59.0 | 95.0 | 59 | Tomlin Mill Road –Olin | ||
| | 65.5 | 105.4 | 65 |  NC 901 –Harmony,Union Grove | ||
| Yadkin | | 73.7 | 118.6 | 73 |  US 421 –Yadkinville,Winston-Salem,Wilkesboro,Boone | Signed as exits 73A (south) and 73B (north);cloverleaf interchange; US 421 exit 265; toNorth Wilkesboro Speedway &Appalachian State University |
| | 79.0 | 127.1 | 79 |  US 21 south /US 21 Bus. north –Jonesville | South end of US 21 overlap | |
| Jonesville | 81.9 | 131.8 | 82 |  NC 67 –Jonesville,Boonville,Elkin | ||
| Yadkin River | Sgt. Gregory Keith Martin Memorial Bridges | |||||
| Surry | Elkin | 83.7 | 134.7 | 83 | US 21 north –Sparta,Roaring Gap | North end of US 21 overlap; southbound access is via exit 85; toBlue Ridge Parkway |
| 84.8 | 136.5 | 85 |   NC 268 Byp. toUS 21 north –Elkin | |||
| Salem Fork | 93.2 | 150.0 | 93 | Zephyr Road –Dobson | ||
| Oak Grove | 100.0 | 160.9 | 100 |  NC 89 –Mount Airy,Galax | ||
| Pine Ridge | 100.8 | 162.2 | 101 |   I-74 east –Mount Airy,Winston-Salem | East end of I-74 overlap;semi-directional T interchange; I-74 exit 5 | |
| | 105.7 | 170.1 | I-77 north (Future I-74) –Wytheville | Continuation intoVirginia | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||
Media related toInterstate 77 in North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons Interstate 77 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous state: South Carolina | North Carolina | Next state: Virginia |
