NH To Spend Millions On New Open Road Tolling Project
HOOKSETT, NH (CBS) - New Hampshire is spending millions to get drivers to move faster through tolls.
Open road tolling allows people with EZ Pass and Fast Lane transponders to zip through without slowing down. Anyone who has driven on I-95 through Hampton on a summer weekend has probably noticed the difference.
Because of the rave reviews, the New Hampshire DOT is going ahead with the project for its second busiest toll booth in Hooksett. Construction will start on the I-93 project this spring.
The state says it will save driver's gas and improve safety.
Every time a car slows down they have to hit the gas to get back up to speed. That burns fuel and officials say this open road tolling will save 465,000 gallons of gas every year.
But convenience isn't cheap. The Hooksett Plaza alone will cost $23 million.
The DOT insists the money comes from savings, not from new fees. They say Hooksett is just the beginning. It may take years, but eventually they'd like to upgrade every toll plaza in the state.
