Members of Congress are weighing the possibility of putting a toll on new highways, with local politicians saying they favor the option.

Proponents say tolls would provide much-needed money for new construction projects by giving states the option of tolling roads built with federal money, an option states now do not have when hunting for road project money.

Touted as a user fee more likely to target tourists than locals, lawmakers say it is an alternative to raising the state gasoline tax at a time when the state is desperate for new sources of revenue.

"No one likes paying tolls, and politicians don't like asking the public to use them," said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. "However, we have dramatic new road needs in South Carolina. The scope of our problem requires we do something new."

Graham, along with U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson and Henry Brown, says a huge boost to the area's tourism economy would accompany the construction of new highways, primarily Interstate 73. The $50 billion interstate, proposed to run from Detroit to Myrtle Beach, would require $2 billion from South Carolina. The lack of increases in the state's gas tax over the course of many years has equaled a lack of money for high-priced, transportation projects, he said.

Without increasing that source of revenue, roads of I-73's magnitude cannot be built in South Carolina unless the state gets creative in its funding options Graham said. That includes looking at tolls.

About 13 million tourists visit Myrtle Beach each year, according to Stephen Litvin, an associate professor of hospitality and tourism at the College of Charleston. He does not foresee a toll road on I-73 deterring tourists from visiting the city.

"People tend to take them (toll roads) as an alternative," Litvin said. "I think the locals may be upset, but the tourists would use it."

Tourists visiting Charleston from Florida and Louisiana Tuesday confirmed Litvin's theory.

Sandy and Davis Morgan, in town from Gainesville, Fla., said they don't think twice about paying a $20, one-way fee to use the Florida Turnpike when visiting their daughter in Miami. They could take Interstate 95, but the heavy traffic isn't worth the free ride.

The cost to use toll roads never amounts to much of her travel budget, said Louisiana native Debbie Hanchey.

"It's like buying a couple of bottled waters along the way," she said.Tolling any road, especially I-73, should be viewed as a big decision, said U.S. Rep. James Clyburn.

"I always feel we have to be very careful in how we treat visitors to our state," Clyburn said. "I-73 is a candidate for tolling, but what would prevent people from staying on I-95 and going to Wilmington (N.C.) or some other beaches instead?"

A slew of new toll roads would change the path many in the commercial trucking industry use when delivering goods, said Darrin Roth, the American Trucking Association's director of highway operations.

"It causes safety issues and congestion issues," Roth said. "The trucking industry would prefer staying on the interstate rather than driving through small towns and stopping at traffic lights."

He said most drivers, if given the option, would take the free interstate rather than the tolled route.

The presence of a secondary route is a consideration when the state Department of Transportation looks into building a toll road.

"In a lot of cases, traffic volumes aren't there to help pay the (road) debt if too many other competing routes exist," said Keith Bishop, the state DOT's deputy director of finance administration.

For example, two toll roads, one state- owned and one privately owned, operate in South Carolina. The Southern Connector in Greenville County collects $3 million a year and is not breaking even. The Cross Island Parkway in Beaufort County is making roughly $5.7 million a year, enough to pay for itself, Bishop said.

The difference between the two may be as simple as whether the toll road is worth the stop, said Kent Gourdin, director of global logistics and transportation programs at the College of Charleston.

"There are extremely nice freeways in California that bypass Los Angeles, but people will sit in traffic rather than paying four or five bucks," Gourdin said. "There is still a lot of resistance to paying for roads. It has to save people time and be worth it for the driver."

Graham said the alternative routes are the reason toll roads may work in South Carolina.

"If you don't want to pay the toll, you can take the secondary roads," Graham said.

Jessica Vanegeren covers traffic and transportation. Contact her at jvanegeren@postandcourier.com or (843) 937-5562.

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