Richmond, Va. – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that tolls on the Downtown and Midtown tunnels, scheduled to begin Feb. 1, will not be charged for fire trucks, ambulances, local police, school buses and employees of the transportation facility when conducting official business.
VDOT and Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) are working to amend their comprehensive agreement, allowing free passage for such vehicles.
“It is critical that local police, firefighters and other first responders have free access to use the Downtown and Midtown tunnels,” said Gov. McAuliffe. “I appreciate ERC’s willingness to work with our Administration and expand the list of exemptions to include emergency vehicles.”
Prior to the amendment, Virginia State Police, sheriffs and sheriff deputies, and VDOT and Department of Motor Vehicle employees on official business would not be charged tolls; but, local emergency responders and police were not included in the list.
Governor McAuliffe announced last week that initial toll rates will be cut in half to provide toll relief for motorists.
ERC is the private company that is financing, building, operating and maintaining the Elizabeth River Tunnels Project that will provide a second Midtown Tunnel, rehabilitate the existing Midtown and Downtown tunnels and extend the Martin Luther King Freeway from London Blvd. to Interstate 264.
For more information on the project, go to http://www.driveert.com.
