Governor Chris Sununu announced Thursday that he's stopping an effort to increase road tolls in the state.
The toll proposal was scheduled to be voted on by the Executive Council next month but the governor now says he won’t be putting the item on the agenda.
In a written statement, Sununu said he’s long been opposed to toll increases and recent public hearings on the matter have not changed his mind.
Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky is one of the main proponents of the toll increases. He says he’s disappointed the $36 million that the toll increases were estimated to raise each year won’t be available for highway improvements across the state.
“It’s clear that there are some of us who believe in the need for investment in the state’s infrastructure that creates jobs, that attracts business, that deals with safety issues," Volinksy said.
Without the additional revenue, projects like the widening of I-93 in Bow and Concord, and improvements to the Everett Turnpike in Nashua, will likely be delayed, according to the Department of Transportation. And proposed sound walls on the Seacoast will likely not move forward.
