CORNELIUS — The state has a timeline for when it expects to begin work on Interstate 77 and has narrowed down the types of improvements planners expect to make, Commissioner Lynette Rinker told the town board Monday, Feb. 6.

The N.C. Department of Transportation laid out a project timeline during a Jan. 18 meeting of the Mecklenburg Union Metropolitan Planning Organization, which shows the request for proposals, environmental proposal, and commercial nearly completed by Dec. 2012.

The transportation department also announced it is working on creating a public/private partnership option to help fund the project, which is anticipated to accelerate project delivery, provide additional financing options, reduce the cost to the state, transfer risk to the private sector and provide expertise to help manage corridor congestion.

Rinker said the state has funding secured for work up to Exit 28 in Cornelius, but is also working on a feasibility study that looks at making improvements from the I-77/277 loop all the way up to Exit 36 in Mooresville.

Improvements to I-77, though not finalized, would include converting the existing high occupancy vehicle lanes to high occupancy toll lanes, and adding an additional toll lane in each direction.