West Virginia toll hike likely, toll group says

On the 88 miles of the Turnpike there are 16 segments between access/egress points and three mainline toll points and one ramp or side plaza. Thirteen segments comprising 64 miles of the total 88 miles or nearly three quarters can be used without toll payment.

The Trucker News Services

12/2/2008

The West Virginia governor's representative at the West Virginia Turnpike says a toll increase is needed. Joe Martin, the chairman of the Turnpike's board is quoted in the local press: "At some point in the near future a toll increase will be necessary," reports TOLLROADSNews.

But there is no specific toll hike proposal so far.

Toll rates on the West Virginia Turnpike are a maximum of 4.3c/mile (2.7c/km) for cars and 14.5c/mile (9c/km) for tractor-trailers. Many trips are toll-free because of the lack of adequate toll points, according to the group. On the 88 miles of the Turnpike there are 16 segments between access/egress points and three mainline toll points and one ramp or side plaza. Thirteen segments comprising 64 miles of the total 88 miles or nearly three quarters can be used without toll payment.

The group stated that toll rates have been stuck on the West Virginia Turnpike since 1981, during which time a dollar has declined in purchasing power to 41 cents.

The Turnpike actually increased tolls Jan. 1, 2006 by 60 percent but there was an uproar in the legislature with two bills introduced to rollback the raise. Then a judge issued an injunction against the toll increases, and the Turnpike gave up the battle after just a few weeks of the higher tolls, the toll group reported on its Web site.

Needed capital projects include widening to three lanes each direction on a busy (7.8 miles) stretch between I-64 and US19 in the Beckley area. There is also a designed but unfunded spur connection and $100m of deferred maintenance.

Traffic is presently down 5 to 6 percent on last year due to the economy. Toll revenues on the pike last year were $58m/yr based on an average daily 96.5k toll transactions of which 22.6k were trucks. The Turnpike denoted I-77 and in part also I-64 is a major route through the Appalachians between the Midwest and the mid-Atlantic states.

Toll traffic on the Turnpike last year had about 35 percent truck traffic. Untolled traffic is not reported.

I-64 goes from the Tidewater area of Virgina (Hampton Roads/Norfolk) through Kentucky to St Louis, while I-77 goes from South Carolina to Cleveland OH.

The nearest competing routes of similar expressway standard through the Appalachians are I-75 in Kentucky and Tennessee about 170 miles (270km) to the southwest of the WV Turnpike and i-68 in Maryland about 180 miles (285km) to its northeast.