TxDOT is moving forward with a plan to end its agreement with the private company that oversees the toll lanes on Highway 288.The Texas Department of Transportation is moving forward with a plan to end its agreement with the private company that oversees the toll lanes on Highway 288. So what does that mean for you?
The question is, when the state takes over the tollway, could you get a better deal? Or could you actually wind up paying even more? TxDOT says it's too early to say. That's not necessarily the answer drivers want to hear while this still getting sorted out. To understand what's coming, you've got to know the back story. About eight years ago, TxDOT signed a contract with a private company called Blueridge Transportation Group allowing them to build and run the toll lanes on 288. The deal was supposed to be good for 50 years. But now, the state is going to pay that company $1.7 billion over the next few months for the lanes.
Since the toll lanes opened in 2020, the Chron reports drivers have had to pay more and more -- from around $6 to more than $15 during peak commuting. I asked TxDOT how likely is it that the price to drive 288 will go up when this deal is finalized? They gave us a statement which reads in part: "If the agreement is terminated, toll revenue collected after the date of termination and future decisions regarding tolling policies, pricing, and operations, will be at the authority of the Texas Transportation Commission.