PA Adds Tolls to Interstate Bridges to supplemen

https://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/pen…

In spite of some of the highest gas taxes in the states, Pennsylvania finds itself short of funds needed to maintain its highway bridges. They have decided to add $1 or $2 tolls to many bridges to help fill the gap.

“The nine candidate bridges are I-78’s Lenhartsville Bridge in Berks County; I-79’s bridges over State Route 50 in Allegheny County; I-80’s bridges across Canoe Creek in Clarion County, Nescopeck Creek in Luzerne County, North Fork in Jefferson County and the Lehigh River, near Wilkes-Barre; I-81 over the Susquehanna River in northern Pennsylvania; I-83’s South Bridge across the Susquehanna River, a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the state Capitol; and Girard Point Bridge on I-95 in Philadelphia.”

“PennDOT has said its current highway and bridge budget for construction and maintenance is about $6.9 billion per year, less than half of the $15 billion that is needed”

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pauleckler
In spite of some of the highest gas taxes in the states, Pennsylvania finds itself short of funds needed to maintain its highway bridges. They have decided to add $1 or $2 tolls to many bridges to help fill the gap.

My best toll road story EVER. Happened in PA.

Forty, fifty years ago, transiting from east PA (Gettysburg) to west, paid full freight to use their toll-controlled interstate. (Was is I-76? Disremember.)

Drove for more than 100 miles thru stop and go traffic thru construction zone that never got above 20 MPH.

If it had been a private company, they would have been in court and go to jail. When you pay for something that a vendor has no intention or ability of delivering, they should be prohibited from charging for it.

There otta be a law.

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The western half is I-70 then becomes I-76 for the eastern half to Philadelphia. I-70 turns south to Maryland.

PA turnpike is the original toll highway. Was built during the depression to create jobs. Experts thought it would fail financially but it proved remarkably successful. The NJ Turnpike soon followed.