I-495 among stretches state finds suitable for potential tolls
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I-495 northbound in Marlborough
When the Baker administration concluded last year that roadway congestion had reached a "tipping point" in Massachusetts, one option it targeted as part of a possible solution was setting aside lanes where drivers could choose to pay a premium for faster travel.
Department of Transportation staff determined after months of follow-up study that 10 different stretches of highway in the state could feasibly host such a system, often referred to as "managed lanes."
Officials examined four options: changing an existing high-occupancy vehicle lane to a high-occupancy tolled lane, repurposing a shoulder into a tolled lane, converting an existing travel lane into one with a toll, or building a new lane altogether.
Stretches of Interstate 93 rated highest on the suitability study, while parts of I-95, I-495, Route 2, Route 27 and Route 139 all landed in the list of 10 highway segments with potential feasibility.
The results of the initial screening, which staff presented at a MassDOT board meeting on Monday, do not guarantee that state leaders will embrace managed lanes, but they are a noteworthy first step toward embracing a strategy in place in parts of Virginia and Utah.
MassDOT's Carrie McInerney, who helped present the screening study Monday, stressed that the findings are not a "slam dunk" in favor of managed lanes, but instead show that they are a possibility. State officials plan to continue studying the topic and will draft a white paper examining potential equity issues with managed lanes in Massachusetts.
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