Skip to main content

Virginia highway toll - first of many?

In the US state of Virginia, the Governor Robert McDonnell is suggesting a new toll on Interstate 95 to help pay for road repairs.
February 24, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSIn the US state of Virginia, the Governor Robert McDonnell is suggesting a new toll on Interstate 95 to help pay for road repairs. The highway officials are currently considering the construction of a single toll facility at the North Caroline border. A US$2-4 toll for each user could raise $30-60 million/year. However, it is likely to be 18-24 months before toll collection begins if the proposal is approved. McDonnell has appealed to US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to give approval. The move is of note as the rules regarding the implementation of tolls on Interstate highways have been changed recently. The latest rules make it easier for state authorities to consider tolling as a means to pay for highway maintenance and repairs. Texas and Florida are amongst those US states already taking a pro-active approach to tolling and other states seem likely to follow. Industry organisations such as the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) have been suggesting increased use of tolling on the Interstate network for some time. With rises in fuel taxation ruled out due to political sensitivity, tolling is seen as the most effective way of ensuring US highways receive the funds required for maintenance, repairs and improvements. This appeal for a toll may well the first in a series of highway tolling moves in the US to help pay for the huge and growing backlog of repairs and also help tackle increasing congestion in certain areas.

Related Content

  • Building the diamond road in Lesotho
    April 6, 2016
    A job site in the Southern African nation of Lesotho represents one of the most extreme and challenging projects to some key Italian firms of the last 10 years. The project was certainly different from the norm It involves building a road in the Lesotho Mountains, some 200km from the capital Maseru, with the work being carried out by the Cooperative of Building and Cement workers from Ravenna (CMC). CMC, which has ranked among Marini's clients for many years now, is involved in the construction of a
  • New fuel economy targets could cut motoring costs in Europe
    May 18, 2012
    Europe’s drivers will be able to save enormous sums of money if ambitious fuel economy targets are introduced by the EU this July. This claim has been made by a former UK Environment Agency chief, Malcolm Fergusson. His study predicts that annual fuel costs for Europe’s drivers could fall by about 23% by 2020 if the currently expected EU fuel efficiency target of 95grammes of CO2 emissions/km for new cars and 147grammes/km for vans is confirmed by the European Commission in July, as expected. If the target
  • Developments in workzone safety systems
    May 3, 2012
    Raising awareness of safety in highway work zones is a global issue, and various initiatives highlight this as Patrick Smith reports. So seriously is work zone safety taken in the United States that each year since 1999 a special week has been set aside to highlight it. Each year in April, National Work Zone Awareness Week is held to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones.
  • Developments in workzone safety systems
    February 8, 2012
    Raising awareness of safety in highway work zones is a global issue, and various initiatives highlight this as Patrick Smith reports. So seriously is work zone safety taken in the United States that each year since 1999 a special week has been set aside to highlight it. Each year in April, National Work Zone Awareness Week is held to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones.