A Look at How Much Tolls Might Cost for Drivers in Connecticut

As the legislators continue to go back and forth in Hartford about the possibility of tolls returning to Connecticut's highways, one question on commuters' minds is just how much the potential tolls could cost. Whether you're driving to and from work, taking your business on the road or just enjoying a Sunday drive, tolls will certainly require an added cost.

At this point in the legislative process, there may not be an easy way to determine exactly how much commuters will have to spend on the tolls. Right now, all of the current proposals have been very unspecific. According to CT Post, there was a Connecticut Tolling Options Evaluation Study done, and they issued a fee scale as to the basic cost. Here's what they came up with:

The charges range from 4.4 cents per mile for a car during off-peak hours, to up to 47.2 cents per mile for heavy out-of-state trucks during peak hours. So how does this all add up for drivers who use major highways to get to and from work?

According to fees recommended in the initial Tolling Options Evaluation Study, if you drive from Trumbull to Greenwich five days a week, you would pay $760 a year. That's if you have an E-Z Pass and drive during peak hours.

If you drive an out of state commercial vehicle, and you travel through Connecticut during peak hours, you would be charged about $54 for a one-way trip.

In comparison, a Connecticut-based truck driver, who has an E-Z Pass and drives approximately 2,000 miles a week during off-peak hours, would be charged about $18,304 in tolls annually.

To drive from Danbury to Waterbury, it would cost you about $2.00/round trip with a CT E-Z Pass, and around $2.50 without the pass. These numbers could also vary based on family income and special offers, like access to express lanes.

Legislators estimate that based on the numbers in the Tolling Options Evaluation Study, toll roads could generate close to $1 billion for the state.

Meanwhile, Connecticut is the last state in the region to add tolls to the roads. New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts have all had them for awhile.