The Federal Highway Administration has named North Carolina as the last of three states to participate in a program with authority to charge tolls on interstates.
North Carolina joins Virginia and Missouri as states with federal approval to pursue interstate tolling. North Carolina and Virginia will devise plans for tolling I-95, while Missouri is considering tolls on the entire 250 miles of I-70 within its borders.
Other states such as Rhode Island and Arizona had presented plans to win one of the pilot program’s slots. Rhode Island wants to toll I-95, and Arizona sought to toll I-15.
The three states selected for the program must submit their tolling plans to federal officials. The states are expected to use toll revenue to pay for construction, repairs, widening and safety improvements of the existing interstates in their states. The Missouri state legislature still must approve the state transportation department’s plan for I-70 tolls.
Virginia plans to toll I-95 south of Fredericksburg within two years.
North Carolina completed a study that recommended tolling all 182 miles of I-95 to help pay for $4 billion in road improvements.