Toll collection on the Route 17 Coleman Bridge between York and Gloucester will come to an end beginning Friday evening, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.
“Eliminating tolls on the Coleman Bridge is more than just a financial decision, it’s a commitment to easing the burden on families, commuters, and local businesses who rely on this vital connection every day,” the governor said in a statement. “By removing this toll, we are putting nearly $60 million back into the pockets of hardworking Virginians, allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money and strengthen our local economy.”
The bridge was built in 1952 as a toll bridge, and it was widened and reconstructed in 1995. After a 20-year pause, toll collection resumed in 1996 for northbound traffic to pay for the $83 million bridge construction debt and for overhead.
“When I was a kid, there was a toll on the bridge that was removed when the bond debt was paid,” said state Sen. Danny Diggs, R-Yorktown. “Then, the bridge was replaced and the toll went back on. I know that all of the people that use the Coleman Bridge are thrilled that the toll will be removed once again.”
Not much has changed in the bridge’s toll collection in nearly 30 years. In 1996, non-commuter two-axle vehicles paid $2 a trip, just as they do now. And the tolls were projected to bring in about $6 million in 1997, just as they do now.
Now, the legally obligated bond debt secured for the construction of the bridge has been repaid, with $29.6 million in outstanding debt owed to the state’s Toll Facility Revolving Account, which pays for eligible toll facilities in the state.
Earlier this year, the General Assembly adopted Youngkin’s budget amendment to eliminate the tolls by Jan. 1, 2026. The budget amendment also waived the remainder of the debt that could not be paid from the bridge’s available funds — the tolls would need to continue through at least 2034 to pay off the debt otherwise.
After nearly 20 years, two-thirds of debt still owed on Coleman Bridge
“The Commonwealth of Virginia has fulfilled its obligation to repay the bond debt for the Coleman Bridge, so it’s time to stop asking Virginians to pay tolls on this facility, and we are doing so five months early,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III in a statement. “There are extensive costs required to continue tolling, and we believe that the toll money collected would be better off in the hands of taxpayers.”
Crews will begin removing toll signs at 9 p.m. Friday, and one of the northbound lanes will be closed overnight. Then, the left two toll lanes will be closed while the toll plaza is demolished.
Kate Seltzer, [email protected], 757-713-7881
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