Toll road issue addressed at Border Trade Alliance

Public Record, The, Feb 14, 1997 by Alan Singer

CALEXICO--Although several issues concerning the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys and the Greater Yuma area were addressed at a recently held Border Trade Alliance regional meeting, a plan to charge a toll for the use of Highway 7 seemed to stir up the most discussion.

Senate Bill 1501, authored by State Senators David KellEy (R-Idyllwild) and Quentin Kapp (I-San Francisco) calls for the construction of the State highway from the new Port of Entry to link up with Interstate 8.

Funds to complete the $23 million project are lacking, so the implementation of a toll road has been recommended to pay for the approximately $18 million still due.

Sam Sato, field representative for Senator Kelley Kelley says officials are "looking at every alternative to a toll road."

Although some parties have slammed the idea of charging a toll, Sato noted that the original $105 million in state funding secured by Senator Kelley for roadway improvement in Imperial County is "now at $130 million."

The California Transportation Commission earmarked funds for the development of a road network in Imperial County to serve vehicles headed to various destinations.

This network calls for the extension of the new State Route 7 from Highway 98 to Interstate 8. This in turn would develop Highway 111 into an expressway belt the Interstate and Highway 78. A bypass will circumvent the city of Brawley to Highway 86. (The Public Record, Dec. 13, 1996).

According to Sato, each of California's other 57 counties "took a hit" of fifteen cent from their individual transportation budgets, to allow for the funding of imperial County's expanded state highway construction program.

"Caltrans is also looking at other options to the toll road," Sato said.

Imperial County Supervisor Dean Shores noted that Congressman Duncan Hunter (R--El Cajon) and George Brown (D-San Bernardino) are "working together" in an attempt to resolve the toll road issue.

"If it takes a toll road to get the highway built ... then let's get it done. Let's do it," Shores stated.

Not everyone in attendance at the BTA conference agreed with Shores or other proponents of a toll road.

"The toll will not service the debt," declared Calexico City Councilman Arturo Rioseco. I'll go out on a limb and predict hat There is not enough volume."

Sato noted that a four-lane highway is needed to keep Imperial County's rural roadways from being chewed up by heavy truck traffic that streams across the border every day. "The 'scratch' is not from the toll sad, but we need to get it done quickly," he remarked.

Nearly 800 trucks cross the border at Calexico each day, and that number is expected to exceed 1600 within the next ten years, according to CalTrans officials.

"At this point, there's a better than 50 percent chance that they may not be able to secure necessary funds to build the highway. That's why a toll road is needed," Sato declared.

Sato said that drivers of passenger vehicles who may not want to use the toll road have another option--the older port of entry located in downtown Calexico, eight miles to the west. "If they don't want to pay the toll ... more power to them," he remarked.

Sato said a draft report concerning the corrupting of Highway 7 is scheduled to be leased by June of this year. Completion of roadway is expected by August of the year 2000.