Forget Coin Buckets, The Spaulding Turnpike Could Become Cashless

If lawmakers have their way, the days of digging through the couch to fund travel from Rochester to Portsmouth may be over.

According to Seacoastonline, the Senate’s Transportation Committee passed the DOT’s 10-year plan this week includes. Now, the Department of Transportation can build and implement all-electronic tolling at the Dover and Rochester toll plaza locations.

However, it's not a done deal. This still needs to be voted on by the Senate Delegation Committee, ultimately then going to the Governor's desk.

An upside to cashless tolls for local residents would be the noise factor. For years, those on Dover Point have dealt with noise and pollution from acceleration and braking around the toll booth. The AET (all-electronic tolling) system would reduce both.

According to the updated 10-year plan reported by Seacoast Online, construction for the AET system would take place in 2021 for $11.9 million, a nearly 70 percent cost savings when compared to the ORT (open road tolling) system which was also on the table. An example of ORT would be the tolls in Hampton, NH, where electronic tolling is assisted by a few cash lanes.