The concept of tolling Interstate 95 in the Tar Heel State to raise funds for necessary road improvements and reduce congestion has been discussed for years. Now, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has taken the planning process one step further by contracting with PBS&J and Baker Engineering to conduct a corridor planning and finance study, including a feasibility study for converting at least part of I-95 into a toll road.

The $6.4 million study will evaluate the required current and long-term capacity, safety, and preservation requirements for the 186-mile I-95 corridor stretching from the South Carolina state line north to the Virginia state line. Multiple scenarios will be examined for tolling the interstate, including where and how often to collect tolls—if at all—and the possibility of creating high-occupancy tolling lanes. PBS&J’s services will include preliminary engineering, transportation planning, and toll financial analyses.

The study will be prepared under the framework of “Linking Planning and National Environmental Policy Act” (NEPA), which allows decisions such as purpose and need and screening of alternatives to be made prior to entering the lengthy NEPA process, ultimately saving NCDOT time and money. It is tentatively planned to be released early next summer—and may ultimately be used to prepare NEPA studies or more advanced tolling and financial analyses.