New Hampshire to keep heavily contested tolls at Merrimack

Climaxing a long campaign and protests, New Hampshire's Executive Council has voted 4 to 1 to reject requests from the city of Merrimack to end tolls on ramps there. The lone vote in favor of ending Merrimack tolls came from Councillor Debora Pignatelli who represents the area and has been one of the most vocal advocates of detolling Merrimack.

The New Hampshire executive council under the unusual constitution of the state is a five person elected body with power over contracts and regulations, including setting toll rates.

The major grievance was that Merrimack located on the Everett Turnpike has tolls on the south facing ramps of three interchanges Exits 10 and 11 to the south of the town and Exit 12 north of the town. Google Maps satellite mode clearly show the ramp toll plazas by their canopies across the ramps (see below).

The larger cities of Nashua to the south and Manchester to the north of Merrimack are toll-free.

The tolls in question are 50 cash, 35c ET for cars. Tractor trailers pay $2.50 or $2.25.

Those supporting toll retention point out that Merrimack asked for the ramp connections to the Turnpike to be built to support economic development. They were built with toll plazas to help pay for the $45m construction cost some 15 years ago.

Merrimack's detollers counter that the tolls have long since paid for the ramps, though that too is contested.

One thing is incontestable - tollroads where some pay and some don't are a source of endless argument about equity.

Other US tollroads with segments free of tolls include the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, the Miami Dade expressways in Florida, the West Virginia Turnpike, the Kennedy Highway in Maryland, the Pennyslvania Turnpike north of Pittsburgh, and the New York State Thruway in Buffalo NY.  All are sources of constant contention.

TOLLROADSnews 2007-11-01