Toll Roads worth avoiding?

[sprjus4]

The toll is for the 1.5 mile segment of VA-895, not for the connector.

The mainline toll for VA-895 is $4.50 for 8.8 miles - 51 cents per mile.

The toll you pay should reflect how many miles you traveled.

It costs $2.60 to travel 1.5 miles between I-295 and Airport Dr, while it also costs $2.60 to drive 5 miles between I-295 and Laburnum Ave. If you travel between Airport Dr and Laburnum Ave - 3.5 miles - it's also $2.60.

The two toll roads in North Carolina, NC-540 and US-74 Bypass use per-mile toll rates, with electronic gantries placed every mile collecting a small fixed rate each mile. The less you travel, the less you pay. And the amount you pay is the same per-mile no matter if you travel part of the road or all of it.

The current toll schedule is unreasonable, and you pay more in theory traveling in segments than traveling the whole road. Obviously, it's less for segments, but per-mile it's way more. You pay $1.73 per mile between I-295 and Airport Dr - 3.5x the per-mile rate for someone traveling the entire road.

Here's a reasonable per-mile schedule using 51 cents per mile, and still accomplishing $4.50 for the entire road, and less depending how many miles you travel.

Eastbound -
I-95 to Laburnum Ave - 3 miles - $1.53
Laburnum Ave to Airport Dr - 3 miles - $1.53
I-95 to Airport Dr - 7 miles - $3.57
Airport Dr to I-295 - 1.5 miles - $1.02
I-95 to I-295 - 8.8 miles - $4.50

Westbound -
Laburnum Ave to I-95 - 3 miles - $1.53
Airport Dr to Laburnum Ave - 3 miles - $1.53
Airport Dr to I-95 - 7 miles - $3.57
I-295 to Airport Dr - 1.5 miles - $1.02
I-295 to I-95 - 8.8 miles - $4.50

That would provide a fair and uniform toll-by-mile system compared to the current toll schedule. You would need to add toll gantries between the interchanges to accomplish this, 2 or 3 them total. I would be in favor of such of setup, and would be more fair and uniform.

Designed for business parks at those stub intersections.

Looks like they've been real successful! If anything got built there, I imagine most of the traffic would still come to/from I-64 via Airport Dr. It's kind of a poor location for a business park to locate IMO.

The signs on I-295 do say that it is a toll road.

Not the outrageous $1.73 per mile toll rate compared to the 51 cent per mile rate of the entire road.

It carries about 17,000 AADT.

15,000 AADT between Laburnum Ave and I-95, and 7,600 AADT between Laburnum Ave and I-295.

Very low numbers east of Laburnum Ave it appears. My observations traveling the road would say that number is pretty accurate.

That's why they make Laburnum Ave traffic from I-295 pay the full $4.50 toll rate instead of a fair $1.53 rate for only traveling 3 miles. It's the only "heavily" (it's not even that heavy) traveled segment, so you have to charge the highest there.

I'd be interested to see the AADT on the Airport Rd Connector... I couldn't imagine anything over 2,000 AADT.

Overall the VA-895 toll road is a nice highway, and the Airport Rd connector is a nice roadway, but it's not that successful for a toll road, at least operationally.

planned new business accesses, 4 lanes is probably wise.

I don't think those business accesses have attracted any businesses... it's been what 7 years since the road opened?

It should have been two-lanes on a four-lane right of way. It would have saved a lot of money, and as we see today, much more wise.

[Beltway]

The toll is for the 1.5 mile segment of VA-895, not for the connector.

The mainline toll for VA-895 is $4.50 for 8.8 miles - 51 cents per mile.
The toll you pay should reflect how many miles you traveled.
It costs $2.60 to travel 1.5 miles between I-295 and Airport Dr, while it also costs $2.60 to drive 5 miles between I-295 and Laburnum Ave. If you travel between Airport Dr and Laburnum Ave - 3.5 miles - it's also $2.60.

I should clarify that while the connector does not have a direct toll, its $60 million cost is supported by the mainline and ramp tolling.

[calculations based on those misconceptions snipped]

Designed for business parks at those stub intersections.

Looks like they've been real successful! If anything got built there, I imagine most of the traffic would still come to/from I-64 via Airport Dr. It's kind of a poor location for a business park to locate IMO.

It is a good area, as it has good highway access and would be an extension of the large developments of businesses to the west and south of the airport.  Google Maps Satellite View shows those developments very well.

That's why they make Laburnum Ave traffic from I-295 pay the full $4.50 toll rate instead of a fair $1.53 rate for only traveling 3 miles.

Going to Chesterfield County, that is, and because the mainline toll plaza is near the James River Bridges and elevated I-95 interchange, where a disproportionately high amount of the money was spent to build the highway.

planned new business accesses, 4 lanes is probably wise.

I don't think those business accesses have attracted any businesses... it's been what 7 years since the road opened?

Give it time.  Have you been on US-250 west of Short Pump?  The 3 miles on either side of the county line was rebuilt from a 2-lane highway to a 6-lane highway about 1999-2000, and it is only the last 5 years or so that a lot of major development has taken place.  Hardly anything at all for the first 10 years.  The plan was for it to move a lot faster but it has taken longer.  But it certainly needs those 6 lanes now.

[sprjus4]

Give it time.  Have you been on US-250 west of Short Pump?  The 3 miles on either side of the county line was rebuilt from a 2-lane highway to a 6-lane highway about 1999-2000, and it is only the last 5 years or so that a lot of major development has taken place.  Hardly anything at all for the first 10 years.  The plan was for it to move a lot faster but it has taken longer.  But it certainly needs those 6 lanes now.

Growth gradually has been expanding west, and they're expecting even more to continue west to VA-623, then up VA-623 to I-64.

That growth was naturally coming, and the county expanded to road to accommodate that growth expected. The growth didn't just come because of "good access". There's a heavily developed area east of it, and it's expanding west naturally. Trust me, if it was still 2-lanes, the growth would still come. We see this down here in Chesapeake where the city fails to maintain and upgrade infrastructure to accommodate future growth. The growth comes anyways, it expands out from where it is existing.

Is there a master plan for the Airport Dr corridor? Interested to see if such exists, and if it does, what's included on it.

I suppose your argument is -somewhat- valid. Hillcrest Parkway was constructed with the VA-168 Chesapeake Expressway in 2001, and it sat vacant until about 2007-2009 when businesses started moving in and residential development began. Now there's a successful retail district off of a major highway - though this one naturally attracts most traffic from the north who doesn't pay a toll to access the area. The toll is one thing that may impact the development opportunities on the Airport Dr corridor, though I could be mistaken. We'll have to look back in 5-10 years from now.

[jeffandnicole]

Barrier tolls tend to have uneven toll rates based on per-mile driving. Use I-95 in Delaware as an example: To travel the entire 11 mile road, it's $4, or about 36 cents per mile. To go between Exit 1 and Maryland, it's $4, or about $2 per mile.

[thspfc]

Every General Highway Talk thread seems to become a Mid-Atlantic thread at some point.

[hotdogPi]

Every General Highway Talk thread seems to become a Mid-Atlantic thread at some point.

Not just that, but also the same two users arguing.

[Beltway]

Is there a master plan for the Airport Dr corridor? Interested to see if such exists, and if it does, what's included on it.

Prime Economic Development Site #18, 575 acres, zoned industrial, with the Airport Connector passing thru the center of it.
https://henrico.us/pdfs/planning/2026plan/maps/2026-chap7-maps.pdf
https://henrico.us/pdfs/planning/2026plan/chap7.pdf [pg. 109]
https://henrico.us/planning/2026-comprehensive-plan/2026plan-2026chp7/

The 2026 Comprehensive Plan adopted on August 11, 2009 replaced the 2010 Comprehensive Plan as the official comprehensive plan for Henrico County.

21 parcels of land are listed for that site on pg. 109, and if you zoom in onto the map you can count them.  So at least as of 2009 those parcels were already owned by developers.

I suppose your argument is -somewhat- valid.

It is not an "argument", just noting that planned development areas require developers to spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to build the actual businesses, and that can happen quickly or slowly based on a variety of factors.

[Beltway]

Barrier tolls tend to have uneven toll rates based on per-mile driving. Use I-95 in Delaware as an example: To travel the entire 11 mile road, it's $4, or about 36 cents per mile. To go between Exit 1 and Maryland, it's $4, or about $2 per mile.

I-95 in northeast Maryland.  The mainline toll plaza supports the entire 42-mile JFK Highway / Northeastern Expressway.

Tolls are collected in the northbound direction only at the toll plaza located one mile north of the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge over the Susquehanna River in northeast Maryland.

[hotdogPi]

I always think of many of these tolls as extremely high. However, I'm just used to low tolls. The Mass Pike is about $10 through the state (to downtown Boston, not to the airport), and much lower if you only use it west of I-495. NY and ME have similar per-mile rates.

[Flint1979]

Toledo to Cleveland or vice versa taking OH-2 bypasses the toll road. There are a few other alternate routes around that too. OH-2 becomes a freeway at Port Clinton  going towards Cleveland.

Often times I will avoid the Chicago Skyway and take the Borman to the Bishop Ford to the Dan Ryan. Which adds on 5 miles and the Skyway would actually be an advantage due to the traffic on the three freeways I named earlier. It's $9 just to cross the bridge on the Skyway.

It's only $5.30 for the Skyway itself, but still worth avoiding and using the Borman.  It's $3.67 (EZ Pass) for the Indiana Toll Road.

I thought you had to pay $9 at the plaza where McDonald's use to be. But yeah I avoid it if I can. I usually check the traffic along the way and will take Stony Island or Indianapolis into the Southside. I avoid the toll going to Milwaukee too, I know it takes longer to take US-41 but it avoids the Tri-State.

[csw]

Every General Highway Talk thread seems to become a Mid-Atlantic thread at some point.

Well, what do you expect when the number of toll roads/number of users/number of roads in general is higher on the east coast than in the midwest?

A question about US 301 vs. I-95 from Washington into Delaware was asked upthread, and I am also curious about the answer...which offers the best cost to time saved ratio?

[1995hoo]

....

A question about US 301 vs. I-95 from Washington into Delaware was asked upthread, and I am also curious about the answer...which offers the best cost to time saved ratio?

I don't think there's any one good answer to that because the traffic on the US-50/301 route varies considerably depending on what day it is and what direction you're going. If you're headed east/north, for example, it's a bad idea to go that way on a Friday during the summer because of the backups approaching the Bay Bridge. There are still A LOT of people who persist in using cash to pay the toll, and there are still no highway-speed E-ZPass lanes. But on a Thursday morning, there's often very little eastbound traffic (I just went that way two weeks ago in order to clinch the new part of US-301).

Similarly, commuter traffic on the I-95 route can be heavy, and you have to plan for the possibility/probability that there will be some sort of crash or other incident that will delay things. The drive is likely to feel like more of a rat race than the US-301 route, and you'll probably get annoyed at the utter lack of lane discipline that runs rampant (I often find the far right lane to be the fastest on I-95 in Maryland).

If all things were equal, I-95 is probably faster. But all things are seldom equal! I enjoyed the US-301 way two weeks ago simply because it was a very relaxed drive, at least once we were beyond Kent Island.

[sprjus4]

....

A question about US 301 vs. I-95 from Washington into Delaware was asked upthread, and I am also curious about the answer...which offers the best cost to time saved ratio?

I don't think there's any one good answer to that because the traffic on the US-50/301 route varies considerably depending on what day it is and what direction you're going. If you're headed east/north, for example, it's a bad idea to go that way on a Friday during the summer because of the backups approaching the Bay Bridge. There are still A LOT of people who persist in using cash to pay the toll, and there are still no highway-speed E-ZPass lanes. But on a Thursday morning, there's often very little eastbound traffic (I just went that way two weeks ago in order to clinch the new part of US-301).

Similarly, commuter traffic on the I-95 route can be heavy, and you have to plan for the possibility/probability that there will be some sort of crash or other incident that will delay things. The drive is likely to feel like more of a rat race than the US-301 route, and you'll probably get annoyed at the utter lack of lane discipline that runs rampant (I often find the far right lane to be the fastest on I-95 in Maryland).

If all things were equal, I-95 is probably faster. But all things are seldom equal! I enjoyed the US-301 way two weeks ago simply because it was a very relaxed drive, at least once we were beyond Kent Island.

What would you say about a Sunday? That's the day of the week I'm looking to go up that way.

[Beltway]

A question about US 301 vs. I-95 from Washington into Delaware was asked upthread, and I am also curious about the answer...which offers the best cost to time saved ratio?

[...]
If all things were equal, I-95 is probably faster. But all things are seldom equal! I enjoyed the US-301 way two weeks ago simply because it was a very relaxed drive, at least once we were beyond Kent Island.

Free-flowing time estimates on Google Maps favor I-95, by 8 miles less and about 18 minutes less.

Right this minute northbound they are routing traffic by way of US-301 as being 2 minutes faster, due to several congestion points -- Beltsville, near Fort McHenry Tunnel, and near the JFK toll plaza area which collects northbound only.

Southbound, I-95 is 5 minutes faster.  The trip pair is Fredericksburg and Philadelphia.

I used the new US-301 freeway on my trip 2 weeks ago, and it is very nice, being able to bypass all those signals and slow travel in Middletown.

[jeffandnicole]

A question about US 301 vs. I-95 from Washington into Delaware was asked upthread, and I am also curious about the answer...which offers the best cost to time saved ratio?

I know I stated upthread my experiences of using 301 rather than 95. 

In free-flowing conditions you may lose a little time but your tolls will be cut in half. But you also have a lot less traffic to deal with.

On a Sunday, most likely going North/East you'll be ok until you hit DE 1 and 95 or DE 1 and 13/40. But you'll hit similar traffic staying on 95.

[1995hoo]

I couldn't say as to a Sunday simply because it's been too many years since I've gone that way on Sunday. In particular, I avoid being on the Eastern Shore on Sunday because the traffic coming back over the Bay Bridge can be very heavy and slow. Obviously that wouldn't affect you on the way north.

[ipeters61]

f all things were equal, I-95 is probably faster. But all things are seldom equal! I enjoyed the US-301 way two weeks ago simply because it was a very relaxed drive, at least once we were beyond Kent Island.

I agree.  US-301 is very low traffic once you're past Kent Island and especially past the US-50 split.  However, I was recently coming home from Baltimore on a Saturday at 3pm which was horrible.  I was stuck in traffic for about 30-45 minutes waiting to get through the toll on the Bay Bridge (using the E-ZPass "express" lane).  Once I passed that, we were moving about 40 MPH on the contraflow of the westbound span of the Bay Bridge and picked up some speed after passing Stevensville.

I couldn't say as to a Sunday simply because it's been too many years since I've gone that way on Sunday. In particular, I avoid being on the Eastern Shore on Sunday because the traffic coming back over the Bay Bridge can be very heavy and slow. Obviously that wouldn't affect you on the way north.

From my experience heading northbound from Dover on summer Sundays, I just avoid DE-1 as much as I can, though I can't speak for 301/Bay Bridge.  Last time I made that trip (from Dover to Newark), I entered DE-1 at Exit 104 (US-13 in North Dover) and got off at Exit 119 (US-13 in North Smyrna), just to bypass Smyrna on US-13, and took US-13 to DE-71 up through Middletown to eventually hit Newark on DE-896.  DE-1 seems to be moving most of the way up, but the traffic is so heavy that I just find it very overwhelming to drive.

[sprjus4]

Here's what I'm getting for off-peak conditions between I-495 south of US-50 and Wilmington for northbound -

I-95 - 1 hour 41 minutes, 107 miles
$16 in tolls - $4 at Fort McHenry Tunnel, $8 at Tydings Bridge, and $4 at the Delaware State Line

US-301 to DE-1 - 1 hour 52 minutes, 111 miles
$8 in tolls - $4 at Chesapeake Bay Bridge, $4 at Delaware State Line



Here's what I'm getting for off-peak conditions between Wilmington and I-495 south of US-50 for southbound -

I-95 - 1 hour 41 minutes, 107 miles
$8 in tolls - $4 at Fort McHenry Tunnel, $4 at Delaware State Line

DE-1 to US-301 - 1 hour 52 minutes, 111 miles
$4 in tolls - $4 at Delaware State Line



Based on this, it appears for my northbound trip US-301 to DE-1 would be the better routing. For one, it's $8 cheaper, it bypasses Baltimore, and is only 11 minutes slower.

For my southbound trip, I-95 will likely be the better routing because it's only $4 more, and I can bypass the Delaware State Line toll by exiting I-95 then re-entering shaving off that $4. It will likely be night by the time I head through Baltimore, so I don't expect the city to be an issue. This will probably end up being a Saturday.

Since I usually use US-13 to US-113 to DE-1 as opposed to I-95 when heading north, this is a route I've not used before so this is why I'm asking for feedback. I have to use it this time due to having to stop in the DC area both directions.

[Beltway]

For my southbound trip, I-95 will likely be the better routing because it's only $4 more, and I can bypass the Delaware State Line toll by exiting I-95 then re-entering shaving off that $4. It will likely be night by the time I head through Baltimore, so I don't expect the city to be an issue. This will probably end up being a Saturday.

I used DE-1 and US-301 on a recent trip from the Philadelphia area to Easton, MD.  I was surprised at the deteriorated pavement condition of parts of US-301 in Maryland, at least surprising for Maryland given the generally good pavement conditions in that state.

[1995hoo]

As I type this, WTOP reports a 22-mile backup (or more) on US-50 heading to the westbound Bay Bridge. US-301 isn't as bad except, of course, that it dumps you onto Route 50 where you still have over 10 miles to go to the bridge. That's the sort of thing that requires the advance planning, and ongoing monitoring, in comparing routes.

[Beltway]

As I type this, WTOP reports a 22-mile backup (or more) on US-50 heading to the westbound Bay Bridge. US-301 isn't as bad except, of course, that it dumps you onto Route 50 where you still have over 10 miles to go to the bridge. That's the sort of thing that requires the advance planning, and ongoing monitoring, in comparing routes.

Anything unusual like a major incident that caused a 22-mile backup?  Wonder what kind of average speeds in this "backup".  A "backup" could have average speeds of 30 mph or it could be barely moving an inch.

[1995hoo]

I don't know, the report I saw didn't provide that level of detail and I don't want to play the audio report to find out because I'm sitting at my father's bedside and I think the audio would disturb him too much.

[skluth]

I lived in Portsmouth, VA from 2003-7 and regularly had to drive up to DC for the week, especially when I had training at the Navy Yard. (Hazards of being a fed employee.) I found it easier driving back using US 301/17 than dealing with I-95. The HOV lanes ended at Quantico Creek, causing nightmare backups on Friday afternoons and still miserable traffic to Fredericksburg. I happily paid the US 301 bridge toll even though normally it's about a half hour or so longer. It also gave me an excuse to stop at Captain Billy's for dinner rather than the chain crap surrounding Potomac Mills.

I have no idea what US 301 is north of Waldorf. But US 301/17 is a very nice, relaxing drive through some very scenic towns and rural areas in Eastern Virginia between DC and the Tidewater region. The toll on US 17 at Yorktown was northbound only, so it was only one toll and well worth the price.

I also regularly shunpiked the Chesapeake Expressway, but my trips to the Outer Banks were rare and done in off-peak hours so traffic was minimal.

[sprjus4]

As I type this, WTOP reports a 22-mile backup (or more) on US-50 heading to the westbound Bay Bridge. US-301 isn't as bad except, of course, that it dumps you onto Route 50 where you still have over 10 miles to go to the bridge. That's the sort of thing that requires the advance planning, and ongoing monitoring, in comparing routes.

Anything unusual like a major incident that caused a 22-mile backup?  Wonder what kind of average speeds in this "backup".  A "backup" could have average speeds of 30 mph or it could be barely moving an inch.

Supposedly a major accident is causing the slowdown... likely lane closures.

Waze reports based on user data the average speed is 18 mph through a 14 mile course right now between the US 301 / US 50 interchange and the toll plaza across the Chesapeake Bay.

EDIT 3:53pm - Now up to 20 miles, spilling onto 5 miles of US-50 north of the freeway. US-301 has no issues until the interchange on the other hand.

[sprjus4]

I lived in Portsmouth, VA from 2003-7 and regularly had to drive up to DC for the week, especially when I had training at the Navy Yard. (Hazards of being a fed employee.) I found it easier driving back using US 301/17 than dealing with I-95. The HOV lanes ended at Quantico Creek, causing nightmare backups on Friday afternoons and still miserable traffic to Fredericksburg. I happily paid the US 301 bridge toll even though normally it's about a half hour or so longer. It also gave me an excuse to stop at Captain Billy's for dinner rather than the chain crap surrounding Potomac Mills.

I have no idea what US 301 is north of Waldorf. But US 301/17 is a very nice, relaxing drive through some very scenic towns and rural areas in Eastern Virginia between DC and the Tidewater region. The toll on US 17 at Yorktown was northbound only, so it was only one toll and well worth the price.

I've tried US-17 and US-301, and it's a nice route, but it doesn't do any good when the HRBT and MMMBT are backed up and you're going to the south side.

In that case, US-301 to I-95 to US-460 could work... I-95 isn't that problematic south of Fredericksburg.

I've found myself usually just waiting out I-95 traffic.

Whenever I end up going up there, I'll be HOV on both the Saturday and Sunday trip so the HO/T lanes from Stafford northward will be beneficial and with no tolls.

Currently, the HO/T lanes are under construction all the way down to Fredericksburg, so that will be a nice relief for both the GP and HO/T traffic when they open. I've noticed the biggest choke points on I-95 South is where the lanes dump into the GP lanes. That massive choke point would be gone.

They're also building "local" and "thru" lanes between US-17 and VA-3 in Fredericksburg, including new bridges over the Rapphannack River. That would create 3 "local" and 3 "thru" lanes in each direction with none tolled. The HO/T lanes would tie seamlessly into the local and thru system at the north end.

I couldn't see the HO/T lanes extending farther south from here in the future mostly because the "local" and "thru" project is constructing lanes in the median, meaning there will be no room left to squeeze in HO/T lanes. Unless they elevated them or reconstructed the entire newly built lanes, it would be impossible.

I also regularly shunpiked the Chesapeake Expressway, but my trips to the Outer Banks were rare and done in off-peak hours so traffic was minimal.

I've always shunpiked the Expressway, except once I used it a few years back simply to try it out since I've never used it - and it's a nice highway but only 55 mph and not much faster than Business VA-168 during off-peak hours. I've also ended up using it during peak hours simply to not deal with any traffic and for a one time trip, I have no issues paying the $3.

During peak weekends in the summer, I would never pay the $8 toll it is now.

When you lived in the area, you mentioned around 2007, the toll was only $2 all times, including peak weekends. It's now $3 regular, and $8 during weekends in the summer.