Officials tell Senate panel wholesale conversion of interstates to toll roads is unlikely

A lawmaker asked whether the department could take on the creation of a new interstate or convert existing interstates to toll roads. Department staff said a new interstate would be a multibillion‑dollar undertaking outside normal paving program capacity and that a toll‑funded corridor designed as an autonomous, self‑funding project could in theory be structured differently but would face federal requirements and practical constraints.

"We don't view whole roads as a viable option for interstates," the chief engineer said, noting federal law and the practical problem of 'leakage'—motorists diverting to avoid tolls and shifting traffic onto secondary roads. Staff said adding lanes with tolling in limited cases is feasible but that wholesale conversion could trigger requirements to repay federal aid and would likely not generate sufficient toll revenue in many parts of the state.

Committee members raised the common public question, "Why don't you toll the roads?" Staff answered that in addition to federal funding implications, toll revenues in lower‑traffic areas are often insufficient to cover construction payback and operating costs, and that diversion could create collateral damage on local roads.

The department did not rule out targeted tolling approaches (for example, new lanes or entirely new tolled corridors that isolate revenues), but it advised caution. The committee did not take formal action on the issue during the briefing and indicated further discussion would be required if tolling or major new construction proposals advance.