Skip to main content

Lots of NC Toll Road News

I don't even know where to begin.

After the NC House passed their budget - which would allocate money from the former Highway to General fund transfer towards 'gap financing' of toll roads - the Senate worked on their version of the budget with their own influences and what not.

So let's review:
  1. NC House passes their version of the budget.
  2. The budget authorizes $25 million a year towards the completion of the Triangle Expressway.
  3. This transfer will begin in the upcoming budget (FY 2008-09) and would last 39 years.
  4. Next year (FY 2009-10), a $24 million 'gap financing' transfer would begin for the Monroe Bypass.
That passed two weeks ago. Now the Senate has of course their version of the budget, and along with that, the Senate has their own political power structure. This includes David Hoyle (D-Gaston County). Hoyle was very instrumental in getting the US 321 freeway from I-85 in Gastonia to I-40 in Hickory built in the 1990s. Hoyle is hoping to include adding the Garden Parkway, which is proposed to run from I-485 near Charlotte-Douglas Int'l Airport to I-85 west of Gastonia, to the upcoming budget.

Also, NC Senate Pro-Tem Marc Basnight has the Mid-Currituck Bridge on his list. The Mid-Currituck Bridge is seen as to provide access relief and hurricane evacuation support to and from the Outer Banks.

Well, Sen. Hoyle came close. In the recently released Senate version of the budget, the Garden Parkway would begin to see financing in 2010-2011. That gap funding transfer would be an annual $35 million.

The Senate did include beginning on 2009-2010 $15 million per year for the Mid-Currituck Bridge Project.

The Senate's budget includes the previously mentioned Triangle Expressway and Monroe Bypass funding that the House passed. In fact, there is no disagreement between the two legislative bodies.

So that's where we are now.

Here's a roundup of news stories and opinion on all the toll budgeting.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...

Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

  The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...