PETERSBURG – Tolls are coming to Interstate 95, according to Ryan Kelly with the Virginia Department of Transportation. He told City Council that tolls are just one part of a formula to help pay for necessary maintenance and upgrades to Interstate 95 that are estimated to cost $12.1 billion over the next 25 years.

Kelly told council that the state has budgeted toward about $2.5 billion of the repairs – leaving about $9.6 billion to be filled. Part of that will be filled with toll revenue.

“It’s not the end-all answer though,” Kelly said.

He said that in September 2011, the state received, along with two other states, conditional, provisional approval to implement a toll plan. As part of that, Kelly has been working on outreach to local Metropolitan Planning Organizations and local governments. By the fall, the plan is to reach out to residents and have public hearings.

Still uncertain at this point is exactly where or how tolls will be collected.

Potential plans include a single gantry across all lanes of traffic at one point – the current plan which Kelly said would likely be located between mile markers 20 and 24.

Under the single-gantry system, all lanes would be tolled simultaneously. Kelly said that would be most favorable as it would stay within the goal of charging between 2 cents and 15 cents per mile.

Under a system similar to when the Richmond-Petersburg turnpike existed – with a toll plaza located south of Petersburg and just north of Richmond – Kelly said drivers would be paying approximately 53 cents per mile.

Another system would see six toll gantries located approximately every 20 miles.

Kelly said that with current single gantry system is also ideal from a traffic perspective.

Approximately 15 percent of traffic that passes through that area is tractor-trailers, and 48 percent of the traffic continues through mile marker 100. Interstate 95 is approximately 178 miles from North Carolina to Washington D.C.

For those planning on making the entire trip in a car – or other two-axle vehicle – the proposed toll is $4. A shorter trip would be $2 and for vehicles with five axles or more the trip would be roughly three times the base rate.

Kelly said that the current plan is to operate the tolls for at least the next 30 years with the option to contract out the operation of tolling.

Councilman Kenneth Pritchett asked if there had been any consideration given to tolling Interstate 81 in the western portion of the state.

“That interstate stays busy,” Pritchett said.

Kelley said that Interstate 64, particularly in the tidewater area, also sees a large amount of traffic and is already somewhat tolled.

The timeline for implementation of tolls includes public hearings in the fall with tolling agreements in place by the winter of this year, according to Kelly’s presentation.