Independence Boulevard widening set for July 23 meeting. How to weigh in on $900M project
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is giving Charlotte residents a chance to voice their opinion on the nearly $1 billion project to widen a busy stretch of highway through east Charlotte and into Matthews.
On July 23, from 4-7 p.m at East Mecklenburg High School, 6800 Monroe Road, NCDOT will hold a public meeting for the Independence Boulevard, or U.S. 74, widening project. The widening starts near Idlewild Road in Charlotte and ends at I-485 in Matthews. The project will add one express and one general purpose lane .
Attendees on July 23 will see maps and flyers showing the project’s proposed layout, said NCDOT spokesperson Jen Goodwin. NCDOT employees also can answer questions about the project generally and the widening’s affect on neighboring properties.
“Every comment is taken into consideration as we are continuing the project development,” she said. “So don’t think that your thoughts or your questions or your opinions don’t matter or aren’t taken into consideration, because they all carry equal weight, no matter how we receive them.”
Independence Boulevard widening details
The widening project will be completed in 10 phases, according to NCDOT.
Goodwin said the removal of traffic signals on Independence Boulevard and interchanges or bridge crossings providing access to U.S. 74 should be the first thing drivers notice when a segment’s construction starts. NCDOT will develop and publicize plans for any lane closures and detours required during construction, Goodwin told the Observer.
Construction for most segments will not begin until 2028 or later. But the Margaret Wallace Road and Arequipa Drive intersection improvements in east Charlotte will start in 2027. The Independence Pointe Parkway extension in Matthews from Sardis Road to Sam Newell Road will start in 2027, too.
The project is estimated to cost between $905 million and $958 million. Goodwin said the cost is subject to change as NCDOT moves through project development and any design changes.
