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Jacksonville Bypass Will Be First New Toll Road

Aug. 18, 2011 | WMFE - A fifteen mile, $290 million dollar highway bypass near Jacksonville will be the first project in an expansion of toll roads in Florida. Lt. Governor Jennifer Carrol made the announcement in a press conference Wednesday. The Jacksonville Outer Beltway will be the first among a number of projects the state Department of Transportation will be starting ahead of schedule to give the road building industry a boost and provide employment for Floridians.

Representatives from the road construction industry says tolls will be necessary to pay for new construction because fuel taxes are no longer sufficient to fund highway building.
A new study projects that gas tax collections will be about five billion dollars less over the next decade. Bob Burleson, of the Transportation Builders Association, said the drop in tax funding is being felt now with so many new projects getting underway around the state. 
“There’s just not money for it.” Burleson said. “Because they are getting more miles to the gallon and the gas tax is a per gallon charge and as the price of gas goes up the gas tax does not change.”
Improved fuel efficiency and the development of alternative fuels means people are buying less gasoline. The study says that will translate into a $24 million dollar drop in gas tax money this year.
 

 

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