Toll road fares to increase April 1

By TERRY KATZ

HOWE, Ind. - Most motorists who use the Indiana Toll Road will have to dig deeper into their wallets when new rate increases take effect April 1.

That's when the cost for a car (two-axle vehicle) traveling the 157-mile length rises from $4.65 to $8.

Rates are even higher for commercial vehicles. Tractor-trailers with seven axles will pay the maximum of $59.60 while the rate for six axles is $32.

There is a way for frequent travelers to save money by opening an I-zoom account. I-zoom is an electronic form of paying for tolls. A transponder must be installed in the vehicle. Tolls are deducted electronically from the account.

A driver in a two-axle vehicle would still pay only $4.65.

Indiana's toll increases are part of a nationwide trend. From the Golden Gate bridge to the New Jersey Turnpike, the nation's toll booths are getting dramatically more expensive to drive through, according to a recent article in USA Today.

Big toll hikes are planned for most of the nation's signature toll roads, bridges and tunnels.

For example, it will cost $8 for a car to travel the George Washington Bridge linking New York and New Jersey, the nation's busiest toll bridge. That's a $3 increase and truckers will pay $35, up from $25.

Pennsylvania, meanwhile, is seeking permission from the federal government to add tolls to Interstate 80. If approval is granted, the cost of traveling the 316-mile road would be $25 for cars and $93 for trucks.

The Indiana Toll Road is called the "Main Street of the Midwest" because it leads directly to Chicago on the west and the Ohio Turnpike to the east.

It is owned by the Indiana Finance Authority and operated by the Indiana Toll Road Concession Company, a Spanish-Australian joint venture.

Last summer, Indiana became the 12th state to use an electronic toll collection system.

Although it never enters Michigan, the toll road lies within 10 miles of the state line throughout the entire length.

Looking north at exit 121, the SR9 Howe/LaGrange exit, the "Welcome to Michigan" sign is visible in the distance.

At one point the toll road comes within 200 yards of the Michigan border.

The toll road was publicly financed and constructed during the 1950s.

It opened in stages. A formal dedication was held Sept. 17, 1956.

Terry Katz is a staff writer for the Journal. Contact her at katz@sturgisjournal.com.