UDOT, lawmakers discuss feasibility of 14 toll roads

Forget the dollars spent to build and maintain Utah roads. In the near future, just driving them could cost you.

Toll roads, reversible lanes and HOT, or "high-occupancy toll" lanes could be put into operation on 14 Utah roads, the Utah Department of Transportation told lawmakers Wednesday.

"Up until this point, all we've really talked about is concepts," said UDOT spokesman Tom Hudachko

Three Salt Lake County roads were listed in a final version of an ongoing "managed lane" study by UDOT as having "high potential" for some form of managed lanes: Interstate 15, U-201 and the yet-to-be-built Mountain View Corridor.

On I-15 and U-201, carpool lanes — or HOV, high-occupancy vehicle lanes — would likely be converted to HOT lanes, said UDOT deputy director Carlos Braceras. That means motorists could buy the right to drive in carpool lanes without a passenger.

"It's a tool we need to consider given the levels of congestion where we are today," Braceras said.

The Mountain View Corridor — while without funding and in a preliminary environmental study stage — could become the first state-managed toll road.

On Friday, the state Transportation Commission will meet and vote whether to allocate money for further review of tolling on the road. The study would become part of a three-year environmental impact study of Mountain View, which has about two years until completion.

Ultimately, if tolling is used on Mountain View, it could mean the project is built sooner, according to UDOT. "If tolling is viable through the toll study, we could possibly deliver a project in years instead of decades," he said.

An expedited project would mean much-needed relief for residents on Salt Lake City's west side, said Rep. Jim Dunningan, R-Taylorsville. "This is an exciting possibility."

Others, such as representatives from the trucking industry, were less excited.

"We already pay for the roads with the gas tax," said David Creer, executive director of the Utah Trucking Association. "On top of that, are they (motorists) willing to pay variable costs like tolls?"

Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, said lawmakers are exploring options to fund a $16.5 million deficit for road projects over the next 25 years. During the recent legislative session, legislators approved $120 million in new funding for roads.

Of that money, $90 million is ongoing — and it won't come close to funding the need, he said.

"The more we put things like this off, we are headed for disaster," he said. "If we follow with the business plan as usual, we'll never see the light of day for years."