Tollroad News brigs up the subject of building a toll road out of the US460-Business the old highway in Virginia. This is an 83 mile stretch, and I would propose the same technology I propose for I-15, obviously.
Making US460, east of Petersburg, an IT road solves the funding problem because utility goes way up, toll charges likely to go from 7 cents to 20 cents/axle-mile, as speed improves to 100 MPH. I would again take the center lanes, 1.5 of the center lanes and build two high speed narrow lanes, and put up barriers along stretches where speeds exceed 90 MPH. Under traffic control, an with passing lanes every so often, an average speed of 100 MPH for lane guided cargo and commuters is easily within the cost estimates. Vehicle design for cargo and passengers could be based on standard BRT framing with multiple sections. A high tech highway there should net out $100 million /yr in tolls and add $300 million in value per year to the region.
The trick is keeping human auto drivers out at high speeds and require robocar technology for the vehicles. This is one of those golden corridors which have their value triple with the addition of technology.
No comments:
Post a Comment