The North Carolina Turnpike Authority was created in 2002 as a board with the authority to study, plan, develop and undertake preliminary design work for toll roads and toll bridges in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The NCTA has the power to design, establish, purchase, construct, operate, and maintain certain up to nine (originally three) toll road projects. It was created "out of a need to implement alternative financing to pay for much-needed roads during a time of rapid growth, dwindling resources and skyrocketing costs".[1]
As of August 2009, no toll roads exist in the state of North Carolina, but the NCTA has started two projects and is studying several others. Thirty-six states operate some type of toll facilities; in fact, every state along the Atlantic Seaboard uses toll facilities except North Carolina and Connecticut.[1]
The NCTA was created with HR644, a bill which passed both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Mike Easley on October 3, 2002. The law prohibits the NCTA from converting any existing roads in the non-tolled system to toll roads, but there is a loophole in the legislation. An existing free road can be converted into a toll road if it "is needed to help establish the financial viability" of a nearby toll project.[2] In addition, the law mandates the North Carolina Department of Transportation to maintain an existing, alternate, comparable non-toll route for each toll route constructed by the NCTA.[3]
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There is continued criticism among North Carolina legislators and citizens about the issue of toll roads in North Carolina, a state which has previously not had tolls for its modern roads. It has been a political campaign issue in state and local elections. Gerry Bowles, a Democrat made the issue of tolls on I-540 a major part of her campaign when she challenged 15th District incumbent Senator Neal Hunt, a republican. Bowles launched her own (now-defunct) website, www.stop540toll.com, calling for the removal of tolls from plans for the extension of I-540.[5] Bowles, however, lost the 2006 election to Hunt.[6]
Some criticism lies with the proposed $2 toll on a 16-mile segment of the Western Wake Freeway. Proponents of the price cite Colorado's E-470 and its $3.75 charge for 16 miles as justification.[7]
In October 2008, the authority was unable to issue bonds to fund the Western Wake Turnpike project as planned due to market conditions affecting municipal bonds such as those.[8] Bonds were later floated, with the assistance of loans from the Federal Highway Administration in June 2009.[9]