I-540 Toll Road Subject Of Discussion For Highway Committee

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina's Turnpike Authority took another look at toll roads on Tuesday.

The closest to home is a toll proposal on the new section of Interstate 540 and the Durham Freeway extension in Research Triangle Park. Building the new section of I-540 costs nearly $300 million, and on Monday, member David Joyner said those high costs make tolls almost inevitable.

"I am afraid they are," said Joyner. "It's a difficult situation in this state, but it's the same in every state. The money just isn't there for construction of new projects today"

The Turnpike Authority says they hope construction on the extension will start next year and finish by 2010.