“It is a project that we are excited about,” said New Hampshire Department of Transportation public information officer Bill Boynton.  “Sometimes people only notice transportation when it fails, but in this case, I think it will be something for motorists to embrace who use electronic tolling.”

I have had many occasions to communicate my views to Bill Boynton over the years.  We mostly disagree, and that is  the case here. I  wont be using the plaza really, oh maybe a few times , you know when you forget and go South and  you really were headed for  the movies in Portsmouth, and you have to drive practically to MA to turn around.

I headed over on  Saturday 5/29/10  9:00 am to check the new flow at the plaza , observing from Hampton Road.

In  less than 3 minutes I saw  5  similar lane  corrections by drivers  approaching the toll plaza. Two were hairy! Add snow, ice, rain, whatever, speed, booze, driver inattention, more of whatever. Open tolling is best employed on really huge aprons, like on the NJ turnpike. You can go  through at highway speed. The Hampton Toll Plaza, the whole corridor is restricted by a marsh on the West side. If the toll does back up , it’s only really a 3 dollar charge, the toll , plus a dollar fine  to use the  high speed lane, if you don’t have an EZPASS. They will send a bill according to DOT. I guess they have the ability to get a scofflaw plate  number at  high speed.

The answer to all of this? Get an EZPASS will you please. Then  we can eliminate these dangerous structures on our highways.

9am

White Truck Northbound

Black SUV lower right

The SUV did not get  all 4 tires in the  travel lane till  he reached the darker asphalt inside the marked off area, but I  missed that shot. He could have tapped his brakes an dropped in sooner.

You can see in this last shot he still needs some room .

Really, is this  new configuration that  confusing ? I saw 5 cars do the same thing in 3 minutes, is that a signage issue on approach? Lousy driving skills, driver inattention( always likely these days) it doesn’t matter. It should be considered before trying to mix an exit, a toll, and 2 lanes of at speed traffic.  I hope this project results in a safer toll plaza till the rest of my fellow citizens get an EZPASS so we can take it down.

On so many levels  it is in ones own best interest to  employ an EZPASS .

Retire a toll worker,

The project that will  impact us more directly is the Merrimac River Bridge replacement on 95. Needed? Yes! Major pain? Oh yea!

Mike