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This is an update on the brewing opposition to the I-77 Widening public-private partnership (P3) project. While the state is trying to reassure the public that figures revealed that show a $9-$11 toll during peak times are based on outdated studies, some groups are not convinced. They also object to the length of the proposed deal, which spans 50 years, and the idea that taxpayers will be on the hook to pay $12 million a year should the lanes fail to generate the needed revenue. All in all they are urging their elected officials to postpone the deal. Similar to other recent P3 deals, such as the US 460 project in Virginia and the US 36 Plenary Roads project in Colorado, there are also claims that the deal lacked transparency and that some key points of the agreement have yet to be fully revealed.
