The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced that they will begin their controversial truck-only tolling program in the southern part of the state in less than a week.
Starting on Monday, June 11, Rhode Island will begin to toll trucks at two locations along I-95 between Hopkinton and Exeter.
The first toll location is 1 mile north of Exit 2 (Hopkinton/Hope Valley). Tractor trailer drivers will pay a $3.25 toll at this location.
The second toll location is at 3 miles south of Exit 5 (Route 102). Truck drivers will pay a $3.50 toll at this location.
The tolls will be capped. From RIDOT: “Tolls will be limited to once per toll facility, per day in each direction. Toll rates will be limited along the I-95 corridor at $20 for a border-to-border trip from Connecticut to Massachusetts. There also is a daily maximum toll of $40 per tractor trailer regardless of the number of toll gantries passed. All caps require the use of a radio identification transponder (such as E-ZPass).”
Additional locations will begin tolling trucks throughout the next 18 months.
Only Class 8 or higher trucks will be tolled.
Rhode Island transportation officials say that they will only be tolling trucks because they believe that trucks are causing the most damage to the state’s bridges and roadways. RIDOT says that the revenue generated by the tolls will be used for infrastructure repair.