Toll on 540? (Raleigh: construction, live, authority)

[trav]

While driving from work I saw a small white sign at the davis drive exit on 540 "No toll on 540". Is this thing going to happen soon?

[Chicky]

Theoretically, 2010-2011. Here is a recent article from the N&O on the current status:

newsobserver.com | Authority opens bids for toll road (http://www.newsobserver.com/news/growth/story/1166578.html - broken link)

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by trav

While driving from work I saw a small white sign at the davis drive exit on 540 "No toll on 540". Is this thing going to happen soon?

Any toll would be on the yet to be built portion of I-540 to pay for its construction. The existing portions of I-540 will not have tolls since they are already paid for.

[J_Lurk]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

Any toll would be on the yet to be built portion of I-540 to pay for its construction. The existing portions of I-540 will not have tolls since they are already paid for.

Actually, the part of 540 that has been built between I-40 and NC 55 and is currently called NC 540 would be part of the toll road (despite the fact that it was already funded and built). I have a friend who lives in that area and has the "No Tolls" sign in her yard, and she spent quite a lot of time updating me on the issue. Here's a link to the anti-toll site. No Tolls on 540 - Proposed Tolls

[Dire Wolf]

That is correct. That is the whole reason for the last minute switch calling that section I-540 to NC-540. They already even had the signs up when they made that change. They played some accounting magic so that it wasn't technically paid for yet and could be tolled without changing the law. I support building the new roads as toll roads, but very much disagree with changing this section.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by J_Lurk

Actually, the part of 540 that has been built between I-40 and NC 55 and is currently called NC 540 would be part of the toll road (despite the fact that it was already funded and built). I have a friend who lives in that area and has the "No Tolls" sign in her yard, and she spent quite a lot of time updating me on the issue. Here's a link to the anti-toll site. No Tolls on 540 - Proposed Tolls

Originally Posted by Dire Wolf

That is correct. That is the whole reason for the last minute switch calling that section I-540 to NC-540. They already even had the signs up when they made that change. They played some accounting magic so that it wasn't technically paid for yet and could be tolled without changing the law. I support building the new roads as toll roads, but very much disagree with changing this section.

Thanks for pointing that out you two. I can always count on you to set me straight. I had forgotten the whole NC-540 toll angle. That bothers me too.

I really dislike how the newer sections of "540" are referred to by different names like the "Triangle Expressway" or "Western Wake Expressway". It makes it confusing to follow the project progress. Sometimes I can't tell if they are talking about the 540 loop or some other road project. I understand there are ramifications by calling it all I-540 but I don't like the various monikers given.