Texas Cuts Truck Tolls on Highways near Austin

The Texas Transportation Commission has voted to lower truck tolls on two Austin-area highways in an attempt to encourage trucks to use them.

Tolls will drop by about 25% on state highways 130 and 45 effective Tuesday, television station KVUE reported Thursday.

The Texas Department of Transportation built highway 130 to divert traffic around Austin and Interstate 35, intending it to be used along with highway 45, KVUE said.

But truck drivers and carriers found the tolls to be too expensive. Thursday’s vote is intended as an incentive to bring trucks onto the roads.

Tolls for trucks with more than four axles will drop to about $16 for a one-way trip on the roads, compared to $27 before the vote, KVUE said.