House votes 97-1 to remove turnpike tolls

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The House of Delegates Wednesday passed overwhelmingly a bill to remove tolls from the West Virginia Turnpike by 2020, but the measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

The tolls have long been a sore spot with residents who live along the 88-mile stretch of interstate between Bluefield and Charleston, and lawmakers from southern West Virginia have tried for years to remove them.

Mercer County Republican Delegate Marty Gearheart said West Virginia motorists who use the turnpike have been taxed twice to pay for the road — the tolls, plus the gas tax.

“We’re the only place in the state that has built its own highway on a double tax,” Gearheart said during a floor debate Wednesday.

Another Mercer County Republican, Delegate John Shott, said southern West Virginians have been paying the tolls for 60 years, while other state residents have not had to pay anything extra for their interstates.

“The question is how long are we going to allow this discrimination to continue?”  Shott asked.

The bill (HB 3163) passed 97-1, with the only “no” vote coming from Kanawha County Democratic Delegate Danny Wells, who cited the costs that will be shifted to the DOH.

“The Department of Highways is in pretty bad shape already,” Wells said.

His argument is reinforced by Parkways Authority general manager Greg Barr. He said eliminating the tolls would shift nearly $60 million in annual maintenance costs to the highway department and the taxpayers.

However, Gearheart took issue with that number. He said the annual maintenance cost is closer to $17 million, noting the bill sets aside turnpike revenue over the next seven years to pay for maintenance through 2035.

The bill faces stiffer opposition on the Senate side. Additionally, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is not in favor of the bill.