The Arkansas Highway Commission last week rolled out its proposal to place 108 toll booths along 333 miles of Interstates 30, 40 and 55.
Truckers and other drivers would pay an estimated $100 million a year in tolls under the proposal unveiled Feb. 17, according to the agency.
The commission said it will continue to review the draft and decide by March 22 whether to submit it to the Federal Highway Administration. Under the 1998 highway bill, FHWA can select up to three toll proposals for inclusion in a project to test the feasibility of new tolls on existing Interstate highways. States have until March 31 to submit applications.
The Arkansas proposal calls for collecting about $1.8 billion in tolls over an 18-year period. The commission notes it will need nearly $800 million to construct and maintain the toll facilities, with the remaining $1 billion going for maintenance and repair of the roads.
Seven toll plazas would be built along the Interstates, and toll booths would also be placed on interchange ramps. Cars would be charged $1 and trucks would pay $1 for each axle.
The commission said the state’s highways are among the oldest in the federal Interstate Highway System, and have seen the volume and weight of truck traffic increase far beyond what road designers envisioned.
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