Are Smog-Belching “Truck Tollways” a Congestion Solution?

Fifteen years from now, 28,000 trucks a day, many of them hauling double or triple trailers, may be speeding up and down special truck lanes on Virginia’s Interstate 81, belching tons of carbon monoxide into the Shenandoah Valley each year. Proponents of “toll truckways,” such as the influential libertarian Reason Foundation think tank, believe they are the wave of the future and the answer to the nation’s transportation needs.

Today, trucks on the four-lane I-81 account for as much as 40 percent of total traffic, thanks in part to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The road, which has become known as the “East Coast Truck Bypass,” offers truckers a straight shot from the Deep South to Canada, skirting the major metropolitan areas along I-95. But heavy truck traffic, congestion, and mountainous terrain have created some of the deadliest sections of highway on the East Coast.

With traffic expected to double in 20 years, everyone seems to agree that something needs to be done to make the highway safer. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is considering a plan to transform 325 miles of I-81 into the nation’s first toll truckway. The proposal, submitted by a consortium of companies called STAR Solutions, would add four additional truck-only lanes and some general-use lanes at a cost of up to $13 billion.

Doubling the number of trucks will certainly alter this peaceful, rural valley, which runs parallel to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. Local environmentalists are alarmed by the plan to pave thousands of acres of land.

This is some very high density freight traffic that Norfolk Southern should be pursuing. Much of the route - from Harrisburg PA to Chattanooga TN - is along existing right of way.
Might be a bit of a route Wilkes Barre to Harrisburg, but maybe put together on some former Pennsylvania Railroad routing. No major grades since this part follows the Susquehanna River.
From Syracuse NY to Wilkes Barre could use former DL&W. Don't know who owns the right of way currently, but IIRC the track is still in service.
Canadian border to Syracuse NY would be former New York Central trackage that is still in service.
28,000 trucks a day is easily 140 trains a day, likely more (200 car TOFC's in practice? Well maybe w/ 2 trailers per car. But maybe this can be implemented w/ current double stack container train equipment.). Even half that, 70 trains a day, 35 each direction.

Anyone at Norfolk Southern reading this?

A few years ago Norfolk Southern submitted a proposal to the VA govt soliciting funding to turn their railroad line that parallels I-81 into a rail 'superhighway' as an alternative to the I-81 truck lanes. The VA DOT seriously studied it, but ended up recommending the truck lanes as the most cost efficient choice. The rail line just has too many curves that would need straightening in order to move the trains at a decent average speed. Another huge hurdle was the need to get other states to extend the rail project in order for it to be viable, because 300 miles is just too short a haul for rail to be economically competitive.

There were a bunch of aging hippies promoting the rail option in Abingdon VA a couple of weeks ago. IMO, the biggest issue is the steep grade between Roanoke and Christiansburg; its about 35 minutes by the highway, but significantly longer (both time and mileage wise) by rail. Between there in both directions, I-81 follows an upland corridor that would be difficult to grade for rail at that elevation without extensive tunnel/bridging efforts. A completely new routing close to the I81 corridor would cost in the BILLIONS to get into service.

The direct current route would be NS from Oak Island NJ or Harrisburg to Hagarstown and down the old N&W Shenandoah line to Bristol. At Bristol, this route becomes an ex-SOU line with LOTS of curves and clearance issues for more than single track construction. The Shenandoah line itself passes through numerous small towns, all whom would fight the idea of increased train track and traffic. At this point, perhaps a new corridor would be more feasible - it will be EXPENSIVE regardless.

One option at the TN/VA border would be relaying the Mendota line west from Bristol to Weber City (this would require numerous eminent domain issues since the line has been completely abandoned since the 1970s and houses are now on the right of way). Hook this into the current NS line south to Frisco Junction and down to Bulls Gap TN, where it would be within a couple of miles of 81 again. This is, of course, contingent on the line being long enough to justify service - HAR/KNOX via rail would probably be 480+ miles.

Other problems - then need for multiple tracks along the entire route to facilitate rapid train handling; the need to strategic junction points along the way so non-thru traffic could use this line (for the sake of argument, lets say Oak Island, Harrisburg, Front Royal/Inland Port, Roanoke, Bristol, Knoxville); and train timing that does not delay the handling of perishable/time-critical merchandise.

The current alternative on the horizon to deal with the problem is an I-81 12-LANE monster toll highway. They already have a section of this rat maze near Christiansburg - 8 lanes with sound walls. Not much of a drive. I'm all for rail instead, but who will pay for it...

The author uses the term NAFTA because it is a negative buzzword among liberal groups, just like the term "smog-belching". It is an environmental pub, and the article has a good bit of editorializing in it.

While some truck traffic on I-81 has increased from NAFTA, most of it(including most of the growth) is still destined for the big cities of the Northeast. I-81 is indeed used as a bypass to avoid DC, often Philly and urban Jersey, and NYC for some. From Hagerstown north, and along I-78 east into New Jersey, it is amazing to see all the truck stops and rest areas at times chock full of trucks staging for their delivery times in the NYC area.

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