Local News
$40 Billion: That’s the Price Tag to Remove Texas Toll Roads
Over time, building toll roads throughout Texas, that mostly circle major metro areas like Dallas and Houston, put planners into debt by about $38 billion.
The Dallas Morning News reported that to remove that debt from the Texas Department of Transportation, combined with ridding Texas of toll roads entirely would cost around $40 billion, with $10 billion of that number being interest on money owed to different agencies, both construction and lender. TxDOT has made it clear that the number is unaffordable, and any change that could happen would need outside funding to cover the cost.
To convert all of the toll roads in Texas into tax-funded corridors, there has been a study in progress for the last two years. The report “is meant to highlight for the public the cost and debt of a proliferation of toll roads throughout the state while identifying which state-operated or subsidized ones could make sense to convert.” Essentially that means a few roads could be converted from tolls in the future, but TxDOT isn’t quite sure which yet.
The central point for this report will be to show lawmakers across the state the way that money for transportation is being used in different areas and how inefficient or efficient these methods are.
