MnDOT study explores tolling expansion

Could toll roads be in Minnesota’s future?

Department of Transportation officials on Monday presented a preliminary report on the feasibility of expanding tolling on the state’s highways to the House Transportation and Regional Governance Policy Committee.

Directed by the Legislature last year, the study shows that a busy corridor like the 51-mile stretch of Interstate 94 from the Wisconsin border to Highway 101 could generate nearly $5 billion in revenue over a 30-year period.

That’s a lot of money, said Chris Roy, assistant director of MnDOT’s Engineering Services Division, but not nearly enough to pay for a reconstruction of that same stretch of roadway.

“Even though this might be a source of revenue, it won’t generate enough to cover the cost of reconstructing our highways,” he said.

Other corridors included in the study were Interstate 35W from the northern east-west split to the southern east-west split; Interstate 35 from the northern east-west split to Duluth; Interstate 94 from Highway 101 to St. Cloud; U.S. Highway 169; Highway 610; and U.S. Highway 52.

Minnesota already has limited tolling in place with the 13-year-old MnPASS program. That program charges fees for driving in special lanes during peak rush hours and is aimed at limiting congestion.

The study, MnDOT says, is not a plan for implementation of increased tolling. Instead, it’s a high-level look at whether toll roads could make sense for Minnesota.

Members expressed concern about the costs of toll roads on commuters and the potential impact tolls would have on the cost of bringing goods to market across the state.

If lawmakers want to further explore increased tolling on Minnesota roads, more intensive study is needed, Roy said. But that call, MnDOT officials say, needs to come from the Legislature.

“That decision, that direction, I think needs to come from policymakers,” he said.