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BY DAVID HENCH
MaineToday Media, Inc. 04/18/2008

MaineToday Media, Inc.

Motorists who use the Maine Turnpike this summer to avoid road construction that will shut down Interstate 295 from Gardiner to Topsham won't get a free pass to use the toll road, but will get to borrow an E-Z Pass transponder for nothing.

The Maine Turnpike Authority' board of directors voted Thursday to make up to 3,000 transponders available for free during the construction as long as they are returned by Oct. 15, once the interstate work is complete. Motorists would still be responsible for the tolls but could avoid paying the $26.25 for the electronic toll-paying device as long as it is returned in good condition.

The Maine Department of Transportation is planning to shut down 20 miles of Interstate 295 southbound to do a $30 million rebuilding project on the road's northern end. Local traffic will detour onto Route U.S. 201. The work is expected to take about three months starting June 15.

Transportation officials say about 12,000 cars per day travel that section of Interstate 295, and about 3,000 of those cares are traveling past Portland and might be inclined to use the turnpike.

Greg Nadeau, deputy commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, asked the authority to consider ways to help motorists and ease congestion on Route 201. The turnpike can't give those motorists a break on tolls, in part because it is impossible to tell who has rerouted because of the roadwork.

"It's very difficult to determine whether someone is adversely impacted by 295 or not and monitoring their usage is virtually impossible," said Neil Libby, chief financial officer for the authority.

Motorists who want free use of the transponder can apply for one in May by contacting the authority to set up an account, and their credit card will be charged for the responder if it is not returned at the end of the construction period.

Board members said the offer may become a useful marketing exercise if customers end up keeping the devices because of their ease of use.

The turnpike expects the additional traffic from the Interstate 295 closure will generate about $900,000 in unanticipated revenue. However, some of that money will cover the increased costs of bridge and other repairs that have to be done more quickly or at night because of the increased use of the turnpike during the interstate work, said the authority's executive director, Paul Violette.

In other action, the board heard a presentation by the Maine Turnpike Toll Rate Advisory Committee, which was asked to study the fairness of the toll system in anticipation of increases in 2010.

The committee did not recommend a particular toll rate structure but did suggest a series of guiding principles which the board should consider when altering prices including: having an equitable toll system, promoting turnpike efficiency and promoting efficiency in the overall transportation network.

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