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Administration rejects proposed Interstate 15 toll
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Motorists traveling on Interstate 15 will not be charged for driving a 30-mile passage through the Virgin River Gorge after the Federal Highway Administration rejected Arizona's proposal to place toll booths at its borders.
Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski was given the news last week.
"At this time, Interstate 15 will not be considered for a federal toll road pilot program," according to the Transportation Department .
The Federal Highway Administration has given North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri the nod to test whether toll roads will generate enough money to improve existing highways or construct new roads. If one of those states drops out of the federal program, I-15 could be reconsidered.
Arizona applied for the federal pilot program with hopes of paying for $250 million in improvements to the freeway winding through the steep canyon. The highway is reaching the end of its life span, and despite the state putting $15 million into the road during the past decade and recently landing another $15 million, it is still not enough money to repave the freeway and fix its bridges, according to the Transportation Department.
"ADOT has been vigilant and consistent in its maintenance of I-15, but the time has come for major investments to be made in this corridor," Halikowski said. "Funding to keep highways and bridges in good repair is an issue today and in the long term as we look at the transportation infrastructure around the state.
"These issues are most pressing on the I-15 corridor, which is such an important link for the nation, even if most Arizonans don't use it."
The state had proposed charging passenger vehicles between $1 and $3 and commercial trucks between $6 and $10 to cross through the northwest corner of Arizona.
Transportation agencies have traditionally made improvements using funding from fuel tax revenue, but the tax has not been increased in 1993 and does not cover the cost of maintenance. Nevada is conducting a study to determine whether taxing its motorists by the mile is a feasible solution.
Halikowski said Arizona has also applied for a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant to help pay for the I-15 repairs.
The stretch of Interstate 15 between Mesquite and St. George, Utah, has been a point of congestion for a half century.
Concerned with the expense of building a highway through the gorge, Arizona transportation officials fought to build the freeway two miles north, where there were fewer topographical challenges. The federal government insisted on building I-15 in its current alignment. When the highway was built in the 1960s, the stretch Arizona hoped to toll was the most expensive section of rural interstate in the country.
Arizona ran into more difficulties with the 30-mile portion of I-15. When construction was set to start in 1966, the federal government pulled 20 percent of its funding because of the Vietnam War, according to the website aaroads.com. Because I-15 was a crucial corridor into Utah, Utah representatives agreed to front Arizona the money to finish the project.
The section of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge is on the federal government's list of Nationally and Exceptionally Significant Features of the Federal Highway System.
Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.
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Chope and hange for everyone! Windmills for Jesus! (or Mohammed depending on who you believe!) Worst 4 years of "leadership" ever... Obama and Biden. Bookends.
9% national unemployment? What happended to the victory lap orchestrated by the LS media last month? Oh..and $4 gas! Saved us! He's done no matter who the nominees is....good.
..and whatever happened to your friend "diogenesofsinope"? Banned for life I'm guessing... you'll get there! Just be persistent!
Hamster is back! Same menu different package!
What happened Jack? did you get yourself banned under the old name?
Three years ago many were in fear of a second Great Depression.
Thanks, Republicans.
Today, the economy is slowly healing, no thanks to obstructionist Republicans who did everything in their power to keep that from happening, in their vain attempt to deny Obama his inevitable second term.
Obama saved us from Palin / McCain and will save us from Santorum / Romney.
mondays He has not started any lying wars to satisfy his Texas ego, and he has captured more terrorits than W even knew existed. Of course with three years of Republican obstructionists nothing has hotten done to help anyone except the right wing talking heads in Washington,although America is wise to them.
IBFROMLV Your rant was one of the most disingenious if not just plain dishonest rants I have read or heard in years. I fully expected you to quote Henry Ford and his $5.00 a day wage program.
The last three years will not go down in history as the worst in history,although they are bad. Just to set the record straight the last three years are the reult of eight years of Bush's failed economic policies, which included a part D drug prgram that enriched drug companies and did very little for medicare recipients, a lying war that has bankrupted America and killed or maimed it's most precious resource,it's miltary members,derugualtion of banking and Wall Street that has led to biggest recession in Americas history with record home foreclosures, follwed by three years of obstructionist Republicans who have not introduced one job bill and have made beating Obama thier only agenda at the expense of every American who wants change and needs jobs.
I would like to know where the rich are going to go after they asked to pay thier fair shair of taxes we have drive then away as you say? If you actually knew the issues you would understand that the weathy are refusing to be returned to thier original tax rate which is an increase of 4%. It was after all that great communicator Regean who said the wealthy should pay thier fair share of taxes and raised thier taxes.
If you would get out of your recliner you would know that thier are millions of homeless veterans,families and one time professional people who are not laying around having someone else pay thier bills.
You are delusional and need to tune Rush and hate talk radio out and then get alife.
And I am still waiting on how Barrack Obama has improved your life? How has he made it better for American citizens? Any takers?
I figured a portion of people would not get the point. If you liked in during the Carter years and think everything is great now, then what do you have to worry about? However, for people that have a little fore thought to what is happening and going to happen down the road. Then there is much to worry about. By the way, for all of Bill Clinton's flaws, he was still a pretty decent and smart president for a democrat. I would take him over our current one in a heart beat.