Bill Would Expand Toll Road Scope

CHARLOTTE — Many years before it will collect a single dime in revenue, the N.C. Turnpike Authority might expand its scope, thanks to legislation pending in the General Assembly. The proposed changes would allow the authority to build and operate six, instead of three, toll roads in the state and comes in response to the authority identifying at least four potentially viable routes for turnpikes. The idea was to build certain expensive new roads sooner than would otherwise be possible using traditional funding sources. North Carolina allocates road money through funding formulas that limit the amount of money available to any particular region.