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Deal: Tolls on 400 to end 2013
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Tolls on Ga. 400 are expected to end by 2013, according to an announcement by Gov. Nathan Deal today.

Deal announced that he will have the state pay off its bond debt on Dec. 1, 2013, and move rapidly after that to remove the Ga. 400 toll by the end of that year. This will stop collection four years earlier than previously planned.

 The Ga. 400 toll was originally scheduled to come down after 20 years, ending in 2011. In 2010 the state issued new bonds tied to the toll revenue in order to pay for needed improvements in the Ga. 400 corridor, including a new connector to I-85. The $40 million in new bonds were issued Dec. 1, 2010, and they mature June 1, 2017. But at the three-year mark the state can repay the bonds without a penalty. Further, the state needs time to plan for physically bringing down the gates and the dramatic restructuring that will be needed in the toll area.

Deal said, “This timeline gives commuters a finish line, while still allowing us to meet our obligations.”

“Ga. 400 commuters have paid more than their fair share already, and this is the earliest we can bring it down without paying a penalty for early repayment of the bonds,” Deal said. “When the Ga. 400 toll went up, the state of Georgia promised commuters that it wasn’t forever... We face many challenges when it comes to paying for new capacity, particularly in the Atlanta region. There are no easy answers, no secret pots of money, but it is imperative that governments build the trust of their people.”

 The governor's proposal requires approval of the State Road and Tollway Authority.