Virginia

[WillWeaverRVA]

The Powhite Parkway Western Extension is also high priority. Just drive the existing route on 288 and 360 and you can see why.

I'm very, very familiar with that stretch. I'm honestly surprised I didn't rip all my hair out when that used to be part of my commute.

Back when US-360 was four lanes? Widening to six and eight lanes helped a lot, and the just completed two-lane widening on the ramp from VA-288 SB to US-360 WB is a huge improvement.

However, the Powhite Parkway Western Extension is very needed. I live on the Powhite Parkway axis, in Stratford Hills.

Nah, it was already six or eight lanes by the time I was having to use it. Peak hour traffic on that stretch is still nightmarish even with the various improvements that have been made, although the two-laning of the ramp from southbound VA 288 has helped immensely with traffic on that segment of VA 288.

[1995hoo]

Somewhat changing the subject—although not entirely, as the Powhite Parkway is a toll road—someone on another forum I visit posted a link to an article saying Virginia has the most expensive toll roads in the country on a per-mile basis, a stat the writer acknowledges is caused primarily by the HO/T lanes in Northern Virginia.

But there is one particular aspect of that article that left me somewhat bemused as soon as I saw it. Take a look at the linked article and see if you can spot what I thought was peculiar.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Somewhat changing the subject—although not entirely, as the Powhite Parkway is a toll road—someone on another forum I visit posted a link to an article saying Virginia has the most expensive toll roads in the country on a per-mile basis, a stat the writer acknowledges is caused primarily by the HO/T lanes in Northern Virginia.

But there is one particular aspect of that article that left me somewhat bemused as soon as I saw it. Take a look at the linked article and see if you can spot what I thought was peculiar.

The fact that the picture is in Maryland and not Virginia?

[1995hoo]

Somewhat changing the subject—although not entirely, as the Powhite Parkway is a toll road—someone on another forum I visit posted a link to an article saying Virginia has the most expensive toll roads in the country on a per-mile basis, a stat the writer acknowledges is caused primarily by the HO/T lanes in Northern Virginia.

But there is one particular aspect of that article that left me somewhat bemused as soon as I saw it. Take a look at the linked article and see if you can spot what I thought was peculiar.

The fact that the picture is in Maryland and not Virginia?

Exactly. I doubt anyone else on the other forum picked up on that until I pointed it out, but I found it rather strange that someone would use a picture of another state's highway to illustrate an article about Virginia.

[Beltway]

Somewhat changing the subject—although not entirely, as the Powhite Parkway is a toll road—someone on another forum I visit posted a link to an article saying Virginia has the most expensive toll roads in the country on a per-mile basis, a stat the writer acknowledges is caused primarily by the HO/T lanes in Northern Virginia.

That honor belongs to Pennsylvania. Of course the other six states with end-to-end turnpikes are right behind.

360 miles of PA TPK is $60.27 for EZPass and $120.74 pay by plate.

Any per mile metric is flawed given the sheer mileage of toll roads in states like NY, NJ, PA, FL, OH, IN and OK.

Florida holds the title for the most miles of toll roads in the United States, with approximately 734 miles of tolled roadway. That includes a mix of expressways, turnpikes, and toll bridges, many of which are concentrated in areas like Orange County (home to Orlando).

States with the most miles of toll roads
- Florida – 734 miles
- Oklahoma – 596 miles
- New York – 574 miles
- Pennsylvania – 508 miles
- Texas – 503 miles
- Illinois – 282 miles
- New Jersey – 255 miles
- California – 246 miles
- Ohio - 241 miles

The VA HOT lanes should not be included, as the general purpose lanes on those highways are toll-free, and the HOT lanes are dynamically priced to keep them from congesting, so the prices are merely a reflection of their success.

Virginia is one of only three states to have large-scale de-tolling of paid off toll roads. The Coleman Bridge went toll-free today, the bonds for the widening in 1996 are paid off.

[sprjus4]

360 miles of PA TPK is $60.27 for EZPass and $120.74 pay by plate.

That toll comes out to about 17 cents per mile for E-ZPass and 34 cents per mile for pay by plate.

VA-895 charges $5.95 for 7 miles of roadway, so about 85 cents per mile.

Even more egregious is VA-168 during summer weekends. $9 for 6 miles of roadway, coming in about $1.50 per mile - to bypass a rural two lane road with a mere 3 traffic lights (two of which concentrated on one end, and one of which is a school.) Off peak, it's around 66 cents per mile with a $4 toll.

Both roads significantly more expensive than the Pennsylvania Turnpike. And that's not even mentioning the HO/T lanes in Northern Virginia which are routinely more than $1 per mile.