Truck-toll system costs Rhode Island more than 1st reported

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A proposed truck-toll project in Rhode Island will cost more than first reported because officials didn’t include construction costs.

The Providence Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2s5oz52) the state Department of Transportation announced Wednesday it has finalized a $68.9 million contract with Austrian company Kapsch Traffic Com IVHS Inc., to build, operate and maintain the state’s planned truck toll network.

The newspaper reports the state originally put the toll network at $25 million over the span of 10 years. Officials say that figure includes maintenance costs, but excludes design and construction costs.

Republican House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan says the financial analysis the state presented was misleading because it didn’t include construction costs.

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Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.providencejournal.com