Maryland to Consider Toll Hikes

The Maryland Transportation Authority will consider toll increases at its June 2 meeting that could double rates by 2013 for trucks on seven of the state’s eight tolled facilities.

A five-axle truck traveling into Baltimore via any one of three tolled routes could pay as much as $24 by mid 2013, depending on how the authority tolls trucks relative to cars.

The current rate for a five-axle-truck is about $12 for the three tolled facilities around the city — the Harbor Tunnel that carries Interstate 895 traffic; the Fort McHenry Tunnel that carries Interstate 95 traffic and the Francis Scott Key Bridge that carries Interstate 695.

The authority currently tolls trucks at a base rate six times higher than cars, said Louis Campion, president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association.

“The potential impact on the Port of Baltimore is dramatic,” Campion said. “In Maryland it’s virtually impossible to access the port without going through one of the tolls.”