Texas Transportation Officials Offer Discounts To Dissuade Big Rigs From Using I-35

Texas Department of Transportation officials approved a move to lower tolls along SH 130 for big rig drivers as a step toward reducing traffic congestion on Interstate 35.

“While this item is not a silver bullet, it is one more tool to increase mobility in our urban core,” Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, said in a statement. “While we in the Legislature have been wringing our hands over congestion and safety, we have done little to provide immediate relief. Funding a program to reduce the tolls on the TXDOT portions of SH130 and SH 45 SE for truck traffic represents a concrete action to improve congestion without actually requiring more concrete.”

Later this month, drivers of 18-wheelers will only be charged the so-called "three-axle" rate, which amounts to a 33 percent discount. An example: A trip on the toll road from Mustang Ridge to Georgetown will cost truck drivers $16.08 rather than the normal charge of $21.41.

The discounts begin on April 19, and are good Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The state also is offering another discount for truck drivers who use TxTag to pay their tolls. Beginning in October, trucks who use their TxTag will pay the same rate as regular cars.

The use of sale of real and surplus property funds was accessed to offset the discounts. The program is currently funded through Aug. 31, 2017.

As anyone who uses I-35 to get to and from work know, the heavily congested artery is made more nerve-wracking given the abundance of truckers using the highway. The toll road was built a few years ago as an alternate route for drivers of big rigs, but the corridor has been sparsely used since.