Interstate 77 (NC)

Interstate 77

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

I-77 highlighted in red

Route information

Maintained by NCDOT

Length

105.7 mi (170.1 km)

Existed

1965–present

Major junctions

South end

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I-77 / US 21 at the South Carolina line near Fort Mill, SC

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I-485 in Charlotte (twice)

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I-277 in Charlotte (twice)

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I-85 in Charlotte

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I-40 in Statesville

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I-74 near Mount Airy

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North end

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I-77 at the Virginia line near Mount Airy

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Location

Counties

Mecklenburg, Iredell, Yadkin, Surry

Highway system

Interstate Highway System

Main

Auxiliary

Suffixed

Business

Future

North Carolina Highway System

Interstate

U.S.

State

Scenic

←  US 76

→  NC 78

Interstate 77 (I-77) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Columbia, South Carolina, to Cleveland, Ohio. In North Carolina, I-77 enters the state at Charlotte, from South Carolina. Crossing the western piedmont, it connects with Statesville before continuing north into Virginia. The landscapes traversed by I-77 is a contrast of urban and rural foothills, with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains seen from a distance on its most northern section. The Interstate extends for 105.7 miles (170.1 km) and has one auxiliary route.

The freeway bears several names in addition to the I-77 designation. Throughout the state the freeway is known as the Blue Star Memorial Highway, a name shared with multiple Interstates across the state. Starting at the South Carolina state line, it is known as the General Paul R. Younts Expressway, switching at Woodlawn Road to the Bill Lee Freeway, ending at the Mecklenburg-Iredell county line. In Surry County, it is known as the Charles M. Shelton Highway.

Not originally part of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, I-77 was added the following year as a route between Charlotte and Port Huron, Michigan, via Detroit. In 1958, the routing was realigned towards Cleveland instead; the Detroit–Port Huron section became part of I-94. I-77 received two extension approvals; the first in 1964, continuing south from I-85 to U.S. Route 74 (US 74), and the second in 1969 to the South Carolina state line towards Columbia. The Interstate was completed in 1977.

Contents

1Route description

1.1Express lanes

1.1.1Tolls

1.1.2HOV3+

2History

3Future

4Auxiliary route

5Exit list

6See also

7References

8External links

Route description[edit]

Virginia-North Carolina state line on I-77

Interstate 77 begins at the South Carolina state line, near Fort Mill, in concurrency with US 21. I-77 goes through the city of Charlotte as a major north–south corridor, connecting the Center City with the suburbs of Pineville, Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson. Shortly after entering North Carolina, it expands to six lanes. Between I-485 (exit 2) and I-277 (exit 9), the highway experiences massive traffic congestion during weekday rush hours (7:00-9:30 a.m./4:00-6:30 p.m.) due to commuter traffic. Just north of Center City, I-77 makes a unique interchange configuration with Interstate 85, with north and southbound lanes crisscrossing briefly. Between I-85 (exit 13) and I-485 (exit 19), I-77 features the state's only HOV lanes. After I-485, I-77 reduces to five lanes (three lanes northbound), then to four lanes after Gilead Road (exit 23).

At Lake Norman, I-77 crosses into Iredell County and becomes a more suburban interstate, passing through Mooresville and then Statesville, where it intersects with Interstate 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 of Elkin; the speed limit through this area is 70 mph (110 km/h). The final 5 miles (8.0 km) of I-77 is concurrent with Interstate 74 to the Virginia state line (where I-74 ends), all within view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Express lanes[edit]

The I-77 Express lanes were financed, developed, constructed and are operated and maintained by I-77 Mobility Partners, in a public-private partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The express lanes replaced the first and only high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in North Carolina, which existed from 2004-2015.

The 26-mile (42 km) high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes are contained entirely within the median 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/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, in Cornelius; and end at NC 150 (exit 35), near Mooresville. The tentative maximum speed limit is 65 mph (100 km/h) with a minimum speed limit at 45 mph (70 km/h).

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.

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.

Tolls[edit]

The express lanes uses all-electronic tolling, with tolls payable with valid transponder (NC Quick Pass, E-ZPass, Peach Pass or SunPass) or Bill by mail, which uses automatic license plate recognition and charge a higher rate with additional fees. Toll rates are based on a congestion pricing, which means the tolls will fluctuate based on a number of factors, including congestion levels, time of day, and maintaining an average travel speed of 45 mph (70 km/h) or faster; toll rate changes may occur as frequently as every five minutes, though drivers will only pay the rate displayed when entering the express lanes.

As of September 2018, the express lanes will use a fixed rate based on segment and time-of-day for the first 180 days of operation, with a cost between $0.30 and $11.00 one-way with valid transponder.

HOV3+[edit]

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.

History[edit]

I-77/US 21 northbound approaching the Arrowood Road interchange in Charlotte

Iredell County Rest Area

Interstate 77 was not part of the original plans for 714 miles (1,149 km) of the nation's Interstate 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).

On August 4, 1959, the commission selected the routing of I-77 to run between Interstate 85 in Charlotte and a point on the Virginia border in Elkin. That would change in late 1960, when the commission voted to route the highway just west of Mount 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 km) extension was granted by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads. Instead of ending at I-85, I-77 now ended at Independence Boulevard (U.S. 74) in downtown 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 of U.S. 21 from the city's surface streets to the new interstate.

I-77 opened to traffic in the following segments:

1965: Yadkin and Surry counties.

1966: A 23-mile (37 km) stretch in Iredell County.

1967: Stretches in Mecklenburg, Yadkin and Iredell counties.

1968: A stretch of highway in the Davidson and Cornelius areas in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties.

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 the Virginia state line to exit 101.

On December 17, 2004, I-77 was widened to six-lanes with HOV lanes, between I-85 to the proposed location of I-485 (later opened December 8, 2008).

On June 28, 2013, a new interchange was added in Mooresville, 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.

In 2015, NCDOT signed a contract with I-77 Mobility Partners to begin construction and eventual management of the toll lanes starting in 2018. 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 non-compete clause. The clause eliminated any future widening of additional free-lanes between Charlotte Center City and Mooresville; or if any additional free-lanes were added, then NCDOT would have to pay the developer compensation. The toll lanes between Mooresville and Huntersville opened June 1, 2019, and the last sections leading into the Center City opened November 23 of that year.

On February 1, 2018, NCDOT opened a new rest area located in the median of I-77, at mile marker 58. Construction of the 5,000 square feet (460 m2), $15 million facility started in the spring of 2015. With the opening of the facility, four older rest areas in Iredell and Yadkin counties, built in 1972-73, were closed.

Future[edit]

Woodlawn Road & Billy Graham Parkway overhead sign

Interstate 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 proper Interstate standards as agreed with FHWA, when NCDOT were given design exceptions when adding the HOV lanes in 2004. Construction began in late 2016.

As of June 2016, HOT lanes are being constructed along Interstate 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. 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, non-compliant drivers will be charged a toll. 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 during peak periods between I-485 and Mooresville.

Another set of HOT lanes is currently being studied along I-77 from south of Center City to the South Carolina border.

The I-40/I-77 interchange (exit 51) is undergoing a 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. The estimated cost for the entire project is $251 million, and construction began in March 2012. It will replace the current interchange, which was built in the late 1960s.

Auxiliary route[edit]

Interstate

City

Type

Notes

Interstate 277

Charlotte

Beltway

A partial loop around Charlotte center city

Exit list[edit]

County

Location

mi

km

Exit

Destinations

Notes

Mecklenburg

Charlotte

0.0

0.0

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I-77 south / US 21south – Rock Hill, Columbia

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Continuation from South Carolina

0.9

1.4

1A

Westinghouse Boulevard

Formerly exit 1 before August 2010; northbound exit shares ramp with Exit 1B

1.8

2.9

1B

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I-485 – Huntersville, Pineville

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Formerly exit 2 (southbound) before August 2010; northbound exit shares ramp with Exit 1A

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

To Pfeiffer University

6.2

10.0

6B

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To NC 49 (S. Tryon Street) / Billy Graham Parkway(Charlotte Route 4 west)

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To Billy Graham Library and Charlotte Douglas International Airport; southbound signed as NC 49 south (S. Tryon St. south) only

7.3

11.7

7

```
To NC 49 / Clanton Road

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8.3

13.4

8

```
To NC 160 / Remount Road

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Northbound exit and southbound entrance

9.0

14.5

9A

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NC 160 (West Boulevard)

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Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access from collector-distributor lanes

9.4

15.1

9B

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I-277 north / US 74east (John Belk Freeway)

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Access from collector-distributor lanes

9.5

15.3

9C

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US 74 west (Wilkinson Boulevard) to US 29 to NC 27

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US 29 and NC 27 signed northbound only; access from collector-distributor lanes

9.9

15.9

10A

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US 29 / NC 27(Morehead Street)

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Southbound exit and northbound entrance

10.4

16.7

10

Trade Street / Fifth Street

Signed southbound as exits 10B (Fifth Street/Trade Street east) and 10C (Trade Street west)

11.0

17.7

11A

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I-277 south / NC 16south (Brookshire Freeway east) – Downtown Charlotte

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Southbound exit shares ramp with Exit 11B

11.2

18.0

11B

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NC 16 north (Brookshire Freeway west)

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Northbound left exit; southbound exit shares ramp with Exit 11A

—

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I-77 north (Express Lanes)

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Southern terminus of I-77 Express lanes

12.4

20.0

12

Lasalle Street / Atando Avenue

13.3

21.4

13

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I-85 – Greensboro, Spartanburg

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Signed as exits 13A (north) and 13B (south) with direct northbound access from express lanes; hybrid interchange

—

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I-85 north

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Express lanes only, northbound exit and southbound entrance

15.8

25.4

16

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US 21 north (Sunset Road) to NC 115

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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

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NC 24 (W.T. Harris Boulevard)

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To Northlake Mall; parclo

Huntersville

19.7

31.7

19

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I-485 to I-85 – Matthews, Pineville

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Signed as exits 19A (north/inner) and 19B (south/outer); I-85 signed southbound

—

Hambright Road

Express lanes only

23.0

37.0

23

Gilead Road – Huntersville

25.5

41.0

25

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NC 73 – Concord, Huntersville

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Cornelius

28.3

45.5

28

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US 21 south (Catawba Avenue) – Cornelius, Lake Norman

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South end of US 21 overlap, to be converted into a diverging diamond interchange in August 2013

Davidson

29.8

48.0

30

Griffith Street – Davidson

To Davidson College

Iredell

Mooresville

31.7

51.0

31

Langtree Road – Mooresville

33.3

53.6

33

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US 21 north – Lake Norman

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North end of US 21 overlap

35.0

56.3

35

Brawley School Road

Single-point urban interchange

36.2

58.3

36

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NC 150 – Lincolnton, Mooresville

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Planned diverging diamond interchange

—

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I-77 south (Express Lanes)

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Northern terminus of I-77 Express lanes

41.8

67.3

42

```
US 21 / NC 115 – Troutman

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half-clover interchange

45.5

73.2

45

Amity Hill Road – Troutman, Barium Springs

Statesville

48.7

78.4

49A

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US 70 (Garner Bagnal Boulevard)

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half-clover interchange

49.0

78.9

49B

Salisbury Road – Downtown Statesville

half-clover interchange

50.1

80.6

50

East Broad Street – Downtown Statesville

51.3

82.6

51

```
I-40 – Winston-Salem, Hickory

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Signed as exits 51A (east) and 51B (west) southbound; cloverleaf interchange

54.0

86.9

54

```
US 21 – Turnersburg

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59.0

95.0

59

Tomlin Mill Road – Olin

65.5

105.4

65

```
NC 901 – Harmony, Union Grove

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Yadkin

Brooks Crossroads

73.7

118.6

73

```
US 421 – Yadkinville, Winston-Salem, Wilkesboro, Boone

```

Signed as exits 73A (south) and 73B (north); cloverleaf interchange

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

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Surry

Elkin

83.7

134.7

83

```
US 21 north – Sparta, Roaring Gap

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North end of US 21 overlap; southbound exit is via exit 85

84.8

136.5

85

```
NC 268 Byp. – Elkin

```

93.2

150.0

93

Zephyr Road – Dobson

Oak Grove

100.0

160.9

100

```
NC 89 – Mount Airy, Galax

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Pine Ridge

100.8

162.2

101

```
I-74 east – Mount Airy, Winston-Salem

```

East end of I-74 overlap; semi-directional T interchange

Stewarts Creek Township

105.7

170.1

```
I-77 north – Wytheville

```

Continuation into Virginia

1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi