The City of Charlotte is starting the process for preliminary design for a bridge over I-85 that will connect Research Drive to J.W. Clay Boulevard. The bridge will create connections between University Research Park to shopping and services at University Place, the J.W. Clay LYNX station, the North Tryon street corridor, the Charlotte Research Institute and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. It will accommodate motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and public transit users.
Featuring elements that capture the culture of the region, the I-85 North Bridge project will
bridge our community and provide a valuable transportation connection by spanning I-85 and serving as a gateway into Charlotte.
The I-85 North Bridge will be located in Charlotte's northeast corridor and will provide connectivity across I-85, linking residential, retail and educational uses in University City on the east side of the interstate to the employment center of the University Research Park on the west side. The project will provide an alternative route to both the W.T. Harris Boulevard and Mallard Creek Church Road interchanges with I-85. In addition, the bridge will provide a direct connection between all of the following:
University Research Park
The future Doby Creek and Barton Creek greenways
The J.W. Clay station of the LYNX Blue Line Extension
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
This signature bridge will serve as a monument entrance into Charlotte and provide facilities that accommodate all modes of transportation from cars and public transit to bicycles and pedestrians.
As a part of the National Environment Policy Act process, the City of Charlotte, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, will engage the community to help complete an environmental analysis and preliminary design that reflects the region's vision for infrastructure connectivity.
Public participation will be important throughout this project to help identify alternatives that meet the City's goal to maintain the growth and vitality of the community and to support a healthy economy for Charlotte.