Dalton Highway
Main article: Dalton Highway
The Dalton Highway in Alaska was built in 1974 to allow construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. It runs 400 miles from near Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean. Rather than relieving congestion, the highway was built to allow access to the Prudhoe Bay oilfields, which before were inaccessible. Permits were required to drive it until 1995, but it is currently owned by the State of Alaska and open to the public.[14]
Dulles Greenway
The Dulles Greenway.
The Dulles Greenway.
Main article: Dulles Greenway
The Dulles Greenway, Virginia's first private toll road since 1816, is a 14 mile (23 km) highway connecting Washington Dulles International Airport with Leesburg, Virginia. In 1988, the Virginia General Assembly authorized private development of toll roads. To take advantage of this opportunity, the Bryant/Crane family of Middleburg, Virginia, AIE, L.L.C., and Kellogg, Brown and Root of Houston, Texas joined together to form Toll Road Investors Partnership II (TRIP II). Brown & Root constructed the road with private funds, opening it for traffic on September 29, 1995. Autostrade International, a company with over 30 years of experience in the development, construction, maintenance, and operation of Italian toll road networks, formed an American subsidiary to take over operation of the Greenway[15].
The Greenway has several methods of expediting traffic flow. Six traffic lanes, a uniform 65 mph (105 km/h) speed limit, and a complete absence of traffic lights keep traffic moving at a steady pace. In addition, electronic toll collection, using the Virginia Department of Transportation's Smart Tag system, enables Smart Tag lanes to "process five times as many vehicles per hour as conventional cash payment lanes"[16].
The Dulles Greenway charges a fixed amount for use of the road, regardless of whether the driver exits before driving the complete length of the Greenway. The behavior of the Greenway's operators appears to confirm theories about private road operation; they seem to increase tolls and invest in infrastructure as needed to maximize profits. In 2004, the operators won approval from the State Corporation Commission to increase tolls from $2.00 to $3.00 per car[17]. In 2005, Tom Sines of TRIP II announced plans for widening the highway, adding two new exits, expanding the main toll plaza, building a ramp to the airport, and reconfiguring an exit as a cloverleaf interchange[18].
Washington State highway privatization
As of 1993, the Washington State Department of Transportation had approved phased privatization of the entire 135 miles (217 km) of freeways in the greater Seattle metropolitan area[19].
Toll roads to serve development
In addition to many private toll roads built to serve ordinary travel needs, some have been built to serve new housing developments. Those include the following:
* Adams Avenue Turnpike, Ogden, Utah
* Alabama River Parkway, Montgomery, Alabama
* Burnside Expressway, Halifax, Nova Scotia (proposed in Canada)
* Emerald Mountain Expressway, Montgomery, Alabama
* Foley Beach Expressway, Orange Beach, Alabama
* Poinciana Parkway, central Florida (proposed)
* Western Bypass, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Supporters
Many politicians, economists, and others have spoken out in support of private highways, including:
* Russ Potts, four-term Virginia State Senator and 2005 gubernatorial candidate, who said that "The only way in the world that you can address the transportation nightmare that we have in Virginia is with new monies, new revenues and a total public-private partnership as well as putting everything on the table - tolls, gas tax, private ownership of roads, everything to address it"[20].
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