Trucking executives told Virginia state transportation officials this week that a proposal to widen I-81 by using mandatory trucks-only toll lanes could have serious financial and economic consequences.

The Roanoke Times & World News reported that three members of the General Assembly and representatives of the builders’ group that would handle the project listened to the concerns of trucking company representatives, but offered no comments.
About 90 people stood up when an American Trucking Associations Representative asked how many opposed the plan.
Many companies offered specifics on how the toll would affect them. For instance, Houff Transfer of Weyers Cave, Va., said a 20-cents-per-mile toll would cost it $630,000 a year – in addition to the $1.2 million in license and fuel taxes it already pays to the state.
“This is going to bankrupt a lot of companies,” said Houff treasurer Grant Doyle.
A Coors Brewing Co. representative said a possible toll would affect his company’s decision on where to build anew warehouse operation.
Jim Rimel of Yellow Transportation, which has seven terminals in the state and makes 2,000 runs a month on I-81, called the proposal double taxation, and said the company might “be forced to review all our facility placements and truck routing due to the drastic nature of this proposal.”
Philip Shucet, who took over as transportation commissioner April 10, was among those in the audience. He said he will not read the Star Solutions proposal unless it completes the four steps of review under Virginia’s Public-Private Transportation Act – a process that could take two years or more.