Indiana lawmakers voted to seek federal authority to become the first state to charge tolls on interstate highways, a move taken over the objections of state truckers. The so-called road funding bill, signed in May by Gov. Mike Braun, contains a tolling clause along with sections addressing bridges, low water crossings, transportation infrastructure bonds, a railroad tax credit, and a wheel and excise surtax.
Federal law generally prohibits states from charging tolls on federal-aid highways like interstates. However, some states can charge tolls because their roads were built and later incorporated into the federal-aid highway system before it was officially created in 1954. FHWA says the law has been amended to allow tolling of interstates under other very limited circumstances.
The trucking industry generally opposes tolling because it believes the revenue is used to fund projects other than highway expansion and improvement. Indiana officials have been toying with the idea of tolling for several years. The Indiana Department of Transportation issued a “Statewide Interstate Tolling Strategic Plan” in 2018. It declared Indiana a national leader in determining how to toll its entire interstate system for all vehicles.