Parkways Authority says turnpike self‑funded, outlines $317M five‑year capital plan
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Summary
The West Virginia Parkways Authority told the Senate Finance Committee the Turnpike is self‑funded through tolls, carried $194 million in 2025 revenue, and plans roughly $317 million in capital investments over five years while studying toll‑plaza modernization and customer‑service consolidation.
Chuck Smith, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, told the Senate Finance Committee that the Turnpike operates without general‑revenue support and has contributed more than $600 million to the state Department of Highways since 2018.
Smith described the 88‑mile corridor as ‘‘a critical commercial artery’’ and said the authority handles nearly 38,000,000 transactions annually. He said the authority maintains a national‑low unlimited‑use EasyPass program at $27.50 per year for class‑1 passenger vehicles.
Sam (Samuel) Pollock, the Parkways’ chief financial officer, reviewed toll metrics and reserves. Pollock reported audited 2025 toll collections of approximately $194,000,000 and said projected 2026 net system revenue is $122,000,000. He outlined reserve requirements—about $30.7 million annually for debt service and roughly $32 million for renewal and replacement reserves—and a five‑year capital improvement program totaling about $317,000,000, with roughly $64,000,000 in capital replacements planned for the coming year.
Parkways officials described safety and customer‑service improvements following a flood‑related incident in 2020: creation of a critical incident response team, increased law‑enforcement presence, new interdiction units with canine capability, and expanded social media and an emergency alert system to notify geographically affected patrons. They also said a toll‑system upgrade and back‑office modernization were completed and that pay‑by‑plate issues prompted hiring about 30 additional West Virginia‑based customer‑service staff.
Committee members asked about tow‑truck policy, vehicle classification (height‑based distinctions that can trigger commercial rates), overnight truck parking and plans to remove manned toll booths in favor of open‑road gantries. Smith said toll‑plaza modernization is being studied and would require significant capital and highway‑standard changes; the study is expected to be complete by June.
What was requested: senators asked for details on the cost and timing of plaza projects and for follow‑up on how customer‑service consolidation will be handled. Parkways agreed to provide additional details to committee members.
Next steps: No vote was taken. The authority will follow up with the committee on the toll modernization study and capital scheduling.
