RALEIGH, N.C.
State transportation officials have signed a preliminary agreement with private companies to build and finance a toll bridge across Currituck Sound on the North Carolina coast.
If the plan works out, the $650 million, seven-mile bridge across the sound to the northern Outer Banks could be completed as early as 2013, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported today.
The state Turnpike Authority will work with ACS Infrastructure Development and Dragados USA to determine if the Mid-Currituck Bridge would be financially feasible. The companies are subsidiaries of Spanish firms.
Projected tolls on what would be the state's longest bridge would be $10 to $15 for a one-way crossing to the upscale beaches of Duck and Corolla.
"The private sector knows how to do these things more efficiently and save money and save time," said David Joyner, the turnpike authority's executive director. "It's a proven model in other countries. This is a way to get our toe in the water to explore this concept."
On a separate project, Joyner's agency tried to sell bonds for a proposed $1 billion toll road south of Research Triangle Park, but couldn't find lenders after the Wall Street decline.
The turnpike authority would be responsible for overseeing the project and the state and private firms would have to agree on tolls and other details.
Reaction to the bridge was positive from Currituck commission chairman Owen Etheridge, who said the bridge would ease summer traffic and bring the county together.
Beachgoers can spend thousands for a weekly rental at the beaches and the new bridge could cut their drive by and hour or more because of traffic jams on the existing road to the northern Outer Banks.
"Coming in through that traffic can be a real daunting task, and I think tourists I've talked to would pay an extra $10 to get to their home here an extra hour earlier," said Adam Norko, marketing director for Seaside Vacations in Corolla."
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Dead wrong
"It would be more of a savings in gas expense to just drive around like we do today if $10-15 is used as the target toll."
No it will not save you money to drive around. As a resident of Currituck we do not even dare drive to those beaches in the summer or other times it may draw a crowd. When there is traffic on 12, the time to get to Carova get's up into the 3 hour range. Just sitting in traffic stewing. $10 would be a savings to us. Not just in gas, but time. Having two kids sittiing in a truck while sitting in traffic, navigating 168, and then the long return is not worth it.
And I live here.
Tolls
The tolls for this bridge are not just for the building costs but to keep the potential crime down...Some of these towns fought this long and hard to keep the bridge from being built...Its a way of life to not have but one road in and out of that area...With the new bridge there could be a new potential crime coming to the area. They figure the potential criminal will not pay $10 to get there...
why toll at all?
How did Florida fund it's 7 mile bridge at Marathon in the Keys when they rebuilt it back in the 90's? It would be more of a savings in gas expense to just drive around like we do today if $10-15 is used as the target toll. I would think some kind of tiered rate over time, or to have a 24 hour window at a reduced cost like the Chesbay would be tolerable. Then again, if you're hanging out in Duck or Corolla you probably aren't so concerned with $10-15.
Tolls
$10 is high, but this bridge would not have nearly the traffic flow of the Chesapeake BBT. In the winter season probably almost no one would use this bridge, so the tourists in summer is where the toll revenue has to be made. I think the mention of $10-$15 is due to the relatively low traffic volume.
TOLLS
A bridge would be great. I believe that $10.00 each way is a little high for the 7 mile bridge. Based on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which is 17 miles long, I believe that $6.00 would be more realistic. Just an opinion.