Texas Would Need $24 Billion to End Highway Tolls

"Texas could rid itself of toll roads, but at a steep price, according to the latest estimates by transportation officials," according to an article by Dug Begley.

State lawmakers recently called on the Texas Department of Transportation to account for the costs of ending tolls on Texas highways. "Officials said they wanted a baseline as they respond to frustration by motorists who feel Texas has relied too much on toll roads to address highway congestion."

The specific figure that officials were looking for: an estimated $24.23 billion.

The state of Texas has 700 miles of toll roads. The state controls 230 of those miles. Another 150 miles of toll roads are currently under construction in the state, mostly in the Houston area, according to Begley.

For a specific case study of the costs of ending tolls, Begley examines the Grand Parkway, a 54-mile stretch of road overseen by TxDOT. According to TxDOT officials, "eliminating tolls on the Grand Parkway, with a total payment on Jan. 1, 2017, would cost an estimated $3.6 billion, about $400 million more than officials borrowed to develop and build the project."