State gets conditional OK for toll road

If North Carolina’s experiment with turning Interstate 95 into a toll road is successful, motorists could see more tolls throughout the state.

It appears the NC Department of Transportation is using I-95 as the guinea pig before it looks at putting tolls on interstate and other major highways in our area.

The NCDOT has received conditional approval to participate in the Federal Highway Administration Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program. Three states will get final certification. North Carolina must show that I-95 cannot be upgraded without money tolls would provide.

The aging highway carries too much traffic along the 182 miles that run through our state from Virginia to South Carolina. It is one of the southern coastal region’s busiest highways. It serves our ports and Fort Bragg. It is the major north-south connector serving the coastal region.

The NCDOT contends that I-95 cannot be upgraded to contemporary interstate standards without resorting to tolls. Traditional sources such as fees and licenses will fund only a portion of the necessary costs. The state wants to widen the highway to six and eight lanes where needed, rebuild bridges and interchanges and increase the shoulder areas. The cost is estimated at $4.4 billion. The NCDOT says it can cover about 10 percent of the total with current funding.

There is a catch to the federal program. Not only does the state have to devise a comprehensive plan to upgrade I-95 and file an environmental assessment, federal interstate maintenance money cannot be applied to the project. Toll revenues will be the major source of financing the upgrade.

Too, the plan must take into account the interests of local, regional and interstate travelers. That means people who use the highway as a daily commuter route must not bear the brunt of the tolls. The NCDOT says it’s looking at ways to cut the costs for local residents. There are a number of devices that would replace the traditional stop-and-pay toll booths. One is electronic detection and billing. Choosing a collection method won’t be made soon. The state hopes to have the final application ready for federal review this fall, so no hard decisions are immediately forthcoming on any of the potential elements of the project.

We are not fond of the idea of putting what amounts to another tax on motorists and business while the price of fuel escalates. Provisions must be made to alleviate the pressure on local folks using toll roads. And, the toll must be low enough that tourist and commercial traffic won’t divert to other highways to elude the fees. That would move the problem elsewhere.

We concede that without raising existing fees and charges, massive highway projects are not feasible. Major arteries such as I-95 are in need of repair, and not making the necessary upgrades could hurt North Carolina and create even bigger expenses in the future. If radical alterations aren’t necessary, rebuilding highways can be done in sections. With a roadway like I-95, the project must be done from start to finish in as little time as possible.

Turning I-95 into a toll road is not a done deal. The state must jump through many federal hoops before an agreement is forthcoming. Washington can’t ignore the fact that I-95 is critical to commerce, and federal officials want to see the results of toll booths on interstates as much as the NCDOT. And, tolls could solve a serious revenue problem.

Still, we want every consideration given to local drivers. All of North Carolina will be watching this experiment. At stake is whether the people accept or utterly reject the notion of a toll road network across the state.

 Want to know more? Go to www.driving95.com.