ATLANTA – A state senator from Roswell wants to end the toll on Ga. Highway 400.
State Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, introduced Senate Bill 97 to end the toll. Last year, the Department of Transportation board and the State Road and Tollway Authority agreed to extend the toll for an additional 10 years.
“The extension was approved without any involvement from the people who drive through the toll every day,” Albers said in a news release. “Voters originally approved the toll with the understanding that it would expire after it had paid off its debt, and had no say in extending the project for at least another 10 years.
“With this legislation, we are establishing a process that would only allow tolls to be extended with the approval of SRTA and a joint resolution from the Georgia General Assembly,” Albers said. “This is about preserving voter trust by ensuring that future decisions are made with community engagement and support.”
The legislation would also bar collecting a toll that isn’t paying off debt or related interest.
In extending the toll, officials said the funds collected through the tolls will help fund a number of road projects, including an improved connection between Ga. 400 and Interstate 85, eliminating the need for some motorists to use surface streets to connect from one highway to another.
