TXDOT: Buy Back Roads, Charge To Use Them
AUSTIN, TX. -A Texas senator has filed a bill that would bar officialsfrom turningsome state highways into toll roads.
The Texas Department of Transportationwants to be allowed to “buy back” parts of existing interstates and add toll lanes. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison wants to prevent that from happening. As proposed, her bill would prohibit the collection of tolls on any part of federal highways that already exist.
It would also prohibit imposing tolls on federal highways bought back by states. The bill would not apply to highways where a toll is already collected, or which were set to go into effect. TXDOT has toldTexas residentsfor months now their plans for toll roads don’t include turning existing free-ways into toll roadways.
ABC-7 has uncovered a newTXDOT report that tells something altogether different. TXDOT senta 24-page report to Congresson Wednesday that saysthe state wants to be able to use your money to buy back these roads from the federal government. Then, the state could make you pay again to use them!
So far,this is just a recommendation from the state to Congress. It doesn’t necessarily mean I-10 or any other interstate in Texas will be tolled anytime soon.
