North Carolina Turnpike Authority

The North Carolina Turnpike Authority was created in 2002 as a board with the authority to study, plan, develop and undertake preliminary design work for toll roads and toll bridges in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The NCTA has the power to design, establish, purchase, construct, operate, and maintain certain up to nine (originally three) toll road projects. It was created "out of a need to implement alternative financing to pay for much-needed roads during a time of rapid growth, dwindling resources and skyrocketing costs" ^[1].

As of August 2009, no toll roads exist in the state of North Carolina, but the NCTA has started two projects and is studying several others. Thirty-six states operate some type of toll facilities; in fact, every state along the Atlantic Seaboard uses toll facilities except North Carolina and Connecticut^[1].

The NCTA was created with HR644, a bill which passed both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Mike Easley on October 3, 2002. The law prohibits the NCTA from converting any existing roads in the non-tolled system to toll roads, but there is a loophole in the legislation. An existing free road can be converted into a toll road if it "is needed to help establish the financial viability" of a nearby toll project^[2]. In addition, the law mandates the North Carolina Department of Transportation to maintain an existing, alternate, comparable non-toll route for each toll route constructed by the NCTA.^[3]

Projects

Projects under construction

• Western Wake Freeway, the western segment of the second beltway around the Raleigh area. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 12, 2009 and construction started soon after. Estimated completion date is by the end of 2012.
• Triangle Parkway, a southern extension of North Carolina Highway 147 to North Carolina Highway 540 in Research Triangle Park. Work started in August 2009 with an estimated completion date by the end of 2011.^[4]

Proposed projects

• Gaston East-West Connector (Garden Parkway), a bypass around Gastonia for U.S. Highway 74.
• Monroe Connector/Bypass, a bypass around Monroe for U.S. Highway 74.
• Cape Fear Skyway, a bridge connecting Brunswick County with southern Wilmington and a possible extension of Interstate 140
• Mid-Currituck Bridge, a bridge connecting mainland Currituck County with Corolla and the northernmost Outer Banks communities - a shortcut across the Currituck Sound.

Projects studied but deemed financially infeasible at present

• Interstate 74 in Brunswick County[1], a segment of a future interstate route across the Green Swamp connecting to South Carolina in Brunswick County
• A Connector between Interstate 73 near the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro west to Interstate 74 along the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway.

Criticism

No Tolls on 540, a citizens' group opposed to tolls on I-540, was formed in March 2007.

There is continued criticism among North Carolina legislators and citizens about the issue of toll roads in North Carolina, a state which has previously not had tolls for its modern roads. It has been a political campaign issue in state and local elections. Gerry Bowles, a Democrat, challenged 16th North Carolina Senate District incumbent Senator Neal Hunt, a republican, on the issue of tolls on I-540. Bowles launched a website, www.stop540toll.com, calling for the removal of tolls from plans for the extension of I-540. Bowles, however, lost the 2006 election to Hunt.^[5][6]

Some criticism lies with the proposed $2 toll on a 16-mile segment of the Western Wake Freeway. Proponents of the price cite Colorado's E-470 and its $3.75 charge for 16 miles as justification.^[7]

In October 2008, the authority was unable to issue bonds to fund the Western Wake Turnpike project as planned due to market conditions affecting municipal bonds such as those.^[8] Bonds were later floated, with the assistance of loans from the Federal Highway Administration in June 2009 ^[9].

See also

• North Carolina Department of Transportation
• North Carolina Ferry System
• North Carolina Highway System

References

1. ^ ^{a b} North Carolina Turnpike Authority official website
2. ^ News & Observer - Crosstown Traffic: New tolls for old roads? (June 21, 2006)
3. ^ Legislative Watch: North Carolina - 2003 Archive
4. ^ Turnpike Authority Breaks Ground on the Triangle Expressway, Press Release 8/12/09
5. ^ NealHunt.com
6. ^ News & Observer - Toll worrier (May 19, 2006)
7. ^ News & Observer - $2 for 16 miles: steep or cheap? (June 13, 2006)
8. ^ Baysden, Chris (October 14, 2008). "North Carolina Turnpike Authority unable to sell bonds for toll road". Triangle Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2008/10/13/daily17.html?ana=from_rss. 
9. ^ Triangle Expressway System Senior Lien Revenue Bonds

External links

• Official website
• NC toll road opposition group