Drivers flooding state offices with complaints about the Toll Road

by Dustin Grove (grove@wsbt.com)

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Drivers have flooded state offices with complaints about long lines, high gas prices and filthy restrooms along the Toll Road

Drivers have flooded state offices with complaints about long lines, high gas prices and filthy restrooms along the Toll Road. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jun 23, 2008 at 4:34 PM EST

Story Updated: Jun 28, 2008 at 11:58 AM EST

Long lines at the toll booth, high gas prices and filthy restrooms: Those are just some of the complaints from drivers traveling the Indiana Toll Road. Drivers have flooded several state offices with letters, e-mails and calls complaining about the highway.

The state leased the 157-mile highway to a Spanish-Australian consortium two years ago. A spokesperson for the company said it’s spent millions improving the road. It also has added toll booths at especially congested areas.

Some people say they're still waiting too long.

“I sat there (at the Portage plaza) for 20 minutes yesterday waiting to go through,” said Shelly Anderson of South Bend. “It was irritating.”

Leigh Morris, executive director of the Indiana Toll Road, is a state employee paid to make sure the Indiana Toll Road Concession Company is properly operating the highway. He gave them high marks.

"Are there some issues? Of course there are, and when you have a roadway with millions of transactions it’s not unusual to have difficulties arise,” said Morris.

He attributed much of the delays at the toll plazas to construction of electronic tolling, called “I-Zoom,” a process Toll Road officials say will eventually improve traveling time significantly.

Toll Road spokesperson Matt Pierce said he knows the Toll Road competition is free, and they want customers to enjoy the highway.

As for dirty restrooms, the state health department investigated, but officials said they found no violations.

And seemingly higher gas prices along the Toll Road are not unusual, said Morris. That’s because contracts between the state and the service plazas allow gas stations to charge up to 20 percent more than the average of three nearby gas stations off the Toll Road.

Morris said, in light of the recent spike in gas prices, the contracts may need to be renegotiated when they expire beginning in 2010.

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