A recent press release from a group calling itself the Montana Study Group for Toll Road Implementation (MSGTI) is advocating for the construction of toll roads in Montana. Toll roads are built by investors who recoup their construction and maintenance costs, and hopefully earn a profit, through fees paid by road users. A fee is required of all vehicles that travel a toll road.

Montana is one of only 15 U.S. states that have no toll roads, bridges or tunnels. The MSGTI group is exploring novel ways to generate money to build new roads or repair existing ones and maintain them with an income generated by users.

The group has targeted a section of Hwy US 2 between Chinook and Harlem as a primary location to introduce toll roads in Montana. A spokesperson for MSGTI was quoted in the press release explaining the choice of that particular section: "The Montana highway officials have already announced plans to upgrade the 20-mile stretch between Chinook and Harlem but, as usual, must wait for available funding to complete the project. Our plan is to rebuild the section as a toll road. We would raise capital from private investors to rebuild the section and then use income from users' fees to repay constructions as well as maintenance expenses. Only toll road users would pay for the service. It's a win-win situation in our view."

Toll roads are not a new idea

Toll roads have been in use since ancient times, some as far back as the seventh century BC on roads built by the Persians. The Roman Empire used toll roads all over the known world in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the U.S. the number of toll roads increased during the two world wars when tax dollars for domestic projects were scarce.

The Interstate Highway System, which began in 1956, made federal grants available to states to develop a faster and safer national highway system. As that original system reached completion in the 1980's some states and large American cities began to build toll roads as a way to add more highways and reduce congestion on existing roadways. These new toll roads funded by private investors were given to the state or municipality once the construction loans were repaid to investors.

The financing plan being considered by MSGTI is based on a new concept where "private organizations do everything from planning and constructing roadways to maintaining them. Private companies are more efficient and can get the roadways in place quicker and cheaper." Some sources say a group of unnamed out-of-state wealthy investors are prepared to provide the financial backing needed to get the Chinook-Harlem section completed. The news release stated, "Work could begin this summer and be completed in one construction season."

The next steps

Alert readers likely see a lot of decisions need to be made quickly. For example, how do you collect fees from users, where should points be to access the toll road and what is a reasonable fee for using the new toll road? First, most newer toll roads use a technology for collecting fees called "pay-by-plate" which, as the name implies, relies electronic devices to read a vehicle's license plate then bill the road user at the address from which the plates were purchased for the vehicle.

The plate reading system cuts out major operating costs (paying human toll collectors plus building costs for toll booths) of older toll roads and eliminates the necessity of stopping to pay a toll. Not stops to pay tolls reduces traffic congestion.

Choosing access points to the roadway will take public input, especially from local users. For vehicles simply passing through the area their access will be seamless at each end of the roadway. It's the folks who live along the route who need to access the road. Too many points could thwart the whole purpose of the toll road.

And, what should the charge be to use the new toll section of US 2? Some toll roads have a flat fee, once on the road how far you go is irrelevant, it's the same fee. Others charge by how many miles a vehicle goes on the tollway. And some add costs for size and weight of the vehicle, a bus or semi would pay a higher rate than a passenger car.

As an example of fees the 136-mile Florida Turnpike connecting Fort Pierce to Miami, Florida has a varied fee-more for people (tourists) without a turnpike pass. "Plate charges" (no purchased pass) for passenger cars are $4.02; pickups are $12.51; five axle trucks are $38.94 and so on. On most toll roads shorter distances are proportionally more expensive. Currently the most expensive toll in the U.S. is on the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway (just under eight miles long) in New York state at $1.25 per mile.

A meeting is set for public input about the new toll road

The Montana Study Group for Toll Road Implementation (MSGTI) is planning a public hearing to assess interest for a toll road to connect Harlem and Chinook. Input regarding access, fees and a timeline for constructing the new section will be discussed. That meeting, the location yet to be determined, is set for the evening of Monday, April 1.

Hey, wait a minute! Isn't that April Fools' Day...? It is April Fools' Day and this was an April Fools' Day story. Enjoy the rest of your day...and don't worry about toll roads, at least not yet.