Pa. Moves Forward With Possible Toll Bridge on I81 in Susquehanna

Pennsylvania appears to be moving forward with a plan that might end up charging motorists a toll to travel over a bridge on Interstate 81 in Susquehanna County.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Governor Tom Wolf’s administration has picked a consortium of companies to manage construction on up to nine major interstate bridges where the upgrades are to be paid for by tolls.

Wolf’s Department of Transportation selected the group from among three finalists, but also said Wednesday, March 9 that it hasn't decided which of the nine bridges to toll.

A bridge over the Susquehanna River just south of Binghamton is among those being discussed for the toll option.

The winning application includes three international firms. They are U.S.-based subsidiaries of Israel-based Shikun & Binui, a development subsidiary of Australia-based Macquarie Group and Spanish construction firm FCC Construccion. It also includes four other firms that have U.S.-based parent companies with a headquarters in Pennsylvania. Construction is expected to begin in 2023 or 2024.

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If approved, motorists who don’t have the multi-state EZPass, would have their license plate read electronically and a bill set to them for the toll fee for the bridge.  All the tolls collected from each span is to go directly back to fixing, replacing or maintaining that particular bridge under the PennDOT plan.