POLL: Would You Pay a Toll to Use Route 11?

The state Senate approved a bill on Thursday that would allow for electronic tolling on to provide more financing for the project.

To get federal funding to complete the 8.4-mile extension of Route 11 from Salem to Waterford, the state has to show it can pay for approximately 20 percent of the project. By allowing electronic tolls on that portion, instead of relying solely on taxpayer funds, it increases the chances the federal government will fund part of the $1 billion project, according to the Department of Transportation.

Route 11 was unexpectedly stopped in Salem in the early 1970s when the state ran out of funds to finish the project.

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The state’s House of Representatives still needs to pass the bill.