Tolls on Hilton Head's Cross Island Parkway end, but not without hassles

[BridgesToIdealism]

I'm surprised that this hasn't been discussed here or otherwise been more widely communicated. The tolls on Hilton Head Island's Cross Island Parkway (US 278) ended at the end of June. Makes sense, since the bonds for the high-level bridge are now paid off. However, as if South Carolina's electronic tolling system wasn't confusing enough with not being interoperable with neighboring states, apparently preexisting Palmetto Pass accounts with the Cross Island Parkway are NOT valid for continued use on the Greenville Southern Connector, even though they both use the same technology. Existing CIP account holders literally have to close their account and open a new one with the GSC for continued use. I mean, really!!??? If you ask me, that's worse than lack of interoperability.

More information here https://www.crossislandparkway.org/scvector/index.html

[vdeane]

Why wouldn't they just roll the accounts over?  That would have to be a LOT less work not only for customers, but for the government as well.  It's as if they were deliberately trying to do things in the most inefficient way possible.

[Ketchup99]

I can't stop laughing. En route from Raleigh to Savannah on Wednesday, June 30, my family took a detour to Hilton Head (because beach, why not?) and took the Cross-Island Parkway on the way back. By the time we left the island, dinner, dessert, and an after-dinner swim were all in the books, and it was probably well past 10pm. I was driving, and my mom commented on how silly it was that such a short road was tolled. I think I said something to the effect of "it'll stay tolled forever, probably, so they can hose tourists." And not an hour and a half later, toll collection ended, for good. In retrospect, quite the stupid comment.

[NJRoadfan]

From what I could find, Palmetto Pass started off using active Mark IV/E-ZPass style tags on the Cross Island Parkway and stuck issuing them. The Southern Connector appears to have always used passive ISO 6B/6C stickers like SunPass with the option to purchase a dual mode transponder to use the Cross Island on the same account. They likely had different back office setups that SCDOT didn't bother to integrate.

[Thing 342]

Strange that SC keeps on using this bespoke system despite E-ZPass gaining momentum in all of their neighbors. Any idea what a ballpark estimate for switching the Southern Connector to MARK-IV / IAG-compatible technology would be?

[BridgesToIdealism]

Strange that SC keeps on using this bespoke system despite E-ZPass gaining momentum in all of their neighbors. Any idea what a ballpark estimate for switching the Southern Connector to MARK-IV / IAG-compatible technology would be?

Unfortunately, probably never. Seems more likely that Palmetto Pass would become interoperable with SunPass/PeachPass/QuickPass before even considering officially joining the IAG - though I wonder whether an E-ZPass would work on the Southern Connector once FTE and SRTA join the IAG, if they haven't fully already. Chances are though, that Palmetto Pass is going to remain the way it is, since even the Southern Connector tolls aren't permanent... I think those bonds are due to be paid off somewhere between 2034 and 2040 if I remember correctly, after which those tolls will disappear too.

[sprjus4]

^ By then, my money (no pun intended) goes towards a I-73 toll road.

[SP Cook]

The number of people who would be regular users of both toll roads would be just a handful.