The proposal to extend Route 11 has always been considered bad transportation policy which would lead to environmental degradation, further suburban sprawl and increased congestion. But a new study from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) released last month shows that even using tolls to pay for Route 11’s extension would not cover the cost of the proposed $1.4 billion highway megaproject in southeastern Connecticut.
Revenue from tolls placed at the new interchange would cover as little as 31 percent of the project’s annual debt service, according to results of the two-year ConnDOT study. At most, those tolls could cover 57 percent of the project’s total cost. The study also looked at tolling the Route 11 extension and the existing Route 11. Both would raise some additional money, but divert too much traffic off of Route 11.
While ConnDOT’s study assumes the project would be funded with state bonds, some local officials have called on ConnDOT to study the use of federal funds. Doing so would mean diverting funds away from the repair and maintenance of existing road and bridge infrastructure across the state. To put the $1.4 billion cost of the project in perspective, Connecticut will receive just $484 million in federal highway formula funds for all of Fiscal Year 2013.
In the past, State legislators have proposed enacting tolls to fund Route 11, but the proposal has never passed the General Assembly. It’s now clear that even with tolls, building Route 11 would mean higher costs for state taxpayers and less money for transportation projects elsewhere in Connecticut.
We have lived a long time without that section of road…I say dig up the black top and basically erase its existence. Why is it our lawmakers have it in their heads that federal money is free money…its tax payers hard earned dollars. We need to fix our existing roads rather than build a new road. Stop the wasteful spending and for once use some simple common sense. And if not common sense look at the numbers they don’t work! Plain and simple
Just like we have the “finest Congress that money can buy”, local lawmakers need money for re-election, and perhaps for in ground pools, etc. Are they really that stupid to not understand the point being made by Layne M above?
[…] piece is quoting a CT DOT study that says tolls won't support even 1/3 of the Route 11 project. Tolls No Magic Bullet for Connecticut’s Route 11 | Mobilizing the Region Frankly, if taxpayer and/or toll dollars are going to be used no matter what, I'd rather see it go […]