i-95

2013-05-20: The North Carolina House of Representatives voted 113 in favor, none opposed May 16 to a bill that limits tolls on interstates to added lanes. This would halt the state DOT's plans to finance $4.5 billion of rebuild of the 182 miles of I-95 from the Virginia to the South Carolina order by fully tolling the interstate.

2013-03-18: Since Cofiroute, the French toller pioneered toll express lanes on the 91 Freeway nearly 20 years in the northeast corner of Orange County California such HOT or toll managed lanes have achieved a great record of success. But even the best ideas can be misapplied or poorly implemented.

2013-03-08: Legislators in Maryland have filed bills to privatize via longterm P3 concession the Intercounty Connector (ICC) and the I-95 toll express lanes.

For contrived sincerity while declaring black is white, day is night, or war is peace our US president has a worthy competitor in Virginia governor Bob McDonnell (Republican.)  McDonnell told Timothy Carney of the Washington Examiner of the huge new tax-&-spend transportation bill that he had  "exhausted all the conservative means he could to fund roads, including tolls and spending cuts."

The last small part of the McDonnell administration's plan to use tolls to reconstruct I-95 south of Fredericksburg has been killed. Friday the state House passed a mammoth bill HB2313 containing the clause just before the end: "11. That no tolls shall be imposed or collected on Interstate 95 south of Fredericksburg pursuant to the Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program without the prior approval of the General Assembly."

The governor's office supports the bar on tolls, having negotiated tax increases instead.

2012-09-05: The McDonnell administration in Virginia has drastically scaled back its plans for tolling I-95. In its recently filed application to the Feds, two toll points have been reduced to one. And the lone mainline toll point is located in the most lightly trafficked segment of I-95 in the state in a rural setting 22 miles north of the North Carolina border.

The Transurban/Fluor concessionaire project on 29 miles of I-95 in northern Virginia is into construction. Initial clearing of brush and small trees is reported in the far southern segment where there is a 9 mile extension planned. Much of the existing 2-lanes reversible HOV further north will be widened to 3 lanes and ramps and off-line bus stations or park-&-rides added.

Most of the work is in the median of I-95.

2012-08-01: Virginia DOT and 95 Express Lanes LLC (90% Transurban, 10% Fluor) signed a 'comprehensive agreement' and went to financial close July 31 on a $925m project to widen and lengthen central reversible lanes and manage traffic with dynamic tolling. There's a groundbreaking in a few days - August 7.

North Carolina leads the way on new interstate tolling with a very thoroughgoing study, plans and public discussion, along with a vigorous schedule for doing some $4.5 billion of work on modernizing their part of I-95. February 17 they heard they got the remaining 'slot' in the interstate reconstruction pilot program ahead of Arizona and Rhode Island's bids for interstate tolls.

With just one 'slot' to allocate for tolling under the reconstruction pilot program the USDOT/FHWA has given conditional approval to North Carolina's application to toll its 183 miles of I-95 between Virginia and South Carolina to support a $4.4 billion reconstruction.