Maryland Inter County Connector to charge 25c to 35c/mile peak, 20c to 30c/mile offpeak

Maryland authorities are proposing toll rates for cars of 25c to 35c/mile peak hours (6 to 9am, 4 to 7pm workdays) and 20c to 30c/mile offpeak - metric: 16c to 22c/km peak and 12c to 19c/km off-peak. Within these ranges actual tolls on this cashless, all-electronic tollroad will be set periodically by the head of MdTA according to congestion management and revenue considerations.

Dynamic pricing ditched

MdTA has abandoned previously announced plans to do dynamic pricing reflecting traffic density at any given time.

The ICC will be a cashless all-electronic tollroad. Motorists with an E-ZPass toll transponder will be charged the quoted toll rate, based on:

- rounding to the nearest 5c ('nickel')

- a minimum toll based on 3 miles

- vehicle classes are 3 axles: 3 x car toll, 4 axles 4.5 x car toll, 5 axles 6 x car toll, 6 axles 7.5 x car toll rate

Video toll surcharge of $3

Vehicles without an E-ZPass transponder will have their license plate read by camera and a bill sent in the mail to the registered owner of the vehicle. Such 'video tolls' will include an additional $3 video toll fee.

The ICC toll policy at this stage is officially just a proposal and is released for public comment.

Once the MDTA Board approves the parameters, the actual toll rates are set by MDTA's Executive Secretary. The tolls rates will be adjusted periodically within the approved parameters to manage congestion and meet revenue goals. A 10-day public notice will be provided for all toll rate changes by the executive secretary of MdTA.

First third of ICC to open in one year

The first segment of the ICC (MD200), a new 6 lane tollroad through Montgomery County in the northern part of the Washington DC metro area is due to open one year from now. ACS is designing and installing and will operate the toll system for Maryland (Toll) Transportation Authority (MdTA).

The ICC is a $2.57b 30km, 19 mile project developed, sponsored, designed, permitted and contracted by the Maryland State Highway Administration that will be turned over to MdTA for operation. MdTA will own the road. The state toll authority has done the financing of the pike. Toll revenue bonds of $1231m cover slightly under half the cost, and grant anticipation bonds another $750m or 29%, the other odd $600m coming from state and federal grants.

T&R study addition to come

MdTA sponsored a traffic and revenue study to examine the toll prospects for the pike, but did not release that publicly. (UPDATE: We're now told MdTA will be made available and we'll write about it when we get it. editor 2009-09-24 08:20)

The section scheduled to open in fall 2010 is segment A, one third of the total length, 10km, 6 miles long - between the end of I-370 and Georgia Avenue MD97. Including three interchanges this $479m construction contract also provides for upgrade and widening of about a mile (1.6km) of I-370, an existing spur expressway off I-270 and which acts as the ICC's connection to the major north-south expressway at its western end.

Near its eastern end the ICC project includes a major new expressway-to-expressway interchange with I-95, and widening and improvements to I-95 itself for some miles north and south.

Work is under way on three segments of the road which are due to be finished to US1 in Prince Georges County in 2012. Work on upgrading I-95 with collector-distributor lanes has been put on hold. In addition there is a review of the eastern end between I-95 and US1.

Defeat for enviros

Construction of the road was a heavy defeat for the environmentalist lobby which fought it fiercely, delaying it many years. However key politicians recognized strong public support for the project, and its justification to improve mobility, and eventually allowed it to proceed.

The State Highway Administration did a serious job responding to legitimate environmental concerns. $300m to $400m of project costs are various protections and improvements to the vegetation and habitat of the corridor including the north-south stream valleys it crosses.

8th toll facility in Maryland

ICC will be MdTA's eighth toll facility, the others being the Kennedy Highway I-95 north of Baltimore, two Baltimore Harbor tunnels, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and four lesser toll bridges. A ninth toll facility is under construction 2x2 toll lanes in the middle of I-95 north of the Baltimore Harbor tunnels.

ICC is the third or fourth toll facility in the Washington DC metro area, others being Dulles Toll Road, Dulles Greenway, and (under construction) Capital Beltway HOT lanes (Springfield IC to Tysons Virginia.)

press release:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/PR.pdf

toll policy notice:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/notice.pdf

frequently asked questions:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/FAQ.pdf

website on the ICC:

http://www.iccproject.com

TOLLROADSnews 2009-09-23