You have some good points. However, comparing the proposed I-92 with I-95
and I-81 seems to me to be quite a stretch. One of the reasons that I-95 and
I-81 are adding freight traffic to the rails is highway congestion. Presumably,
I-92 would be a four lane divided highway running mostly through wilderness
and rural areas, with moderate traffic at most.
Any new toll road is unlikely to succeed in the current mindset of the country of
never pay for anything. Almost no politician today dares to even mention raising
the gasoline tax to help pay maintain the highways we have. Perhaps you are
familiar with Interstate #93 in NH. It is has been a four lane highly congested
highway for decades. There have been a few sections expanded and upgraded,
but the residents of South Central NH have clamorered for years to expand the
highway to eight lanes. Just a few days ago, the NHDOT raised the possibility of
either increased tolls on existing toll highways, tolls on I-93 or an increase in the
gas tax or a combination of all three to pay the $250 million cost. The Speaker
of the NH House and President of the Senate quickly shot this down. Just last
year, these same political bodies cut the NH vehicle annul registration fee by $30,
which cut the DOT budget by $40 million. State highway maintenance has been
cut back to cover the shortfall and there will be few new projects, unless Uncle
Sam comes through. NH might not even have the required matching funds, as
the Legislature has been endling non-highway federal progams and funding to the
state, if any state matching funds are required.
I should note that I do not see this highway being built for a decade, if ever. Few
towns on the route will want the road in their backyard. There was a proposal about
30 years ago to build a toll road from Dover to Concord NH. Every town on the route,
said "not in my back yard" and the proposal was deep sixed. Today's environmental
requirements are much more strengent that when most of the Interstates were built.
