Mass. official proposes widening, toll lanes on South Shore highway

BOSTON (AP) - A former state transportation official is proposing widening Route 3 south of Boston by creating a public-private partnership that would be paid for by tolls.

Former Massachusetts deputy transportation secretary Ned Corcoran cites as a model the Virginia Department of Transportation's newly opened high-speed toll lanes on the Capital Beltway that can be used by single-occupancy vehicles that can use them for a toll based on the time of day and traffic volume. Buses and carpools are allowed to use the lanes for free.

Corcoran tells The Boston Globe it's a way to address infrastructure needs that otherwise might not get dealt with for decades.

Frank DePaola, highway administrator for the state Department of Transportation, recently met with Corcoran's team and called the proposal "intriguing," although he said there are no plans to widen Route 3.

Cox Media Group