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Interstate 77 has been one of Charlotte’s most frustrating stretches of pavement for years. Now, as state leaders move closer to widening that corridor with new toll lanes, a fresh political battle has erupted — not just over tolls, but over what the expansion would mean for neighborhoods already divided by the highway decades ago.
In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Tony Mecia sits down with Steve Harrison, political reporter at WFAE, for a live conversation recorded Feb. 23, 2026, at The Sharon at SouthPark Retirement Community. Together, they unpack how the I-77 debate evolved from complaints about expensive toll lanes in North Mecklenburg to a broader fight over equity, neighborhood impact and whether Charlotte leaders still have any power to reshape the project. They also discuss:
Why I-77 is so congested, and why the state says tolls are the only realistic funding path
The October 2024 vote that allowed the project to move forward — and the August 2025 procurement step that changed the stakes
The council members most vocal about stopping or pausing the project, and why others are trying to thread the needle
What the transit referendum means in reality
Why “micro-mobility” is expanding
A practical explainer on Charlotte’s government: who really runs the city day-to-day, and why that matters for major projects
We hope you enjoy the conversation with Steve Harrison. For more information on The Charlotte Ledger and WFAE’s “Charlotte in Motion” newsletter, or to subscribe, please visit TheCharlotteLedger.com.
This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks.
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