The state Department of Transportation says it is negotiating fees for contracts on financial and planning studies for the tolling of Interstate 95.

Roberto Canales, coordinator of Strategic Initiatives for the department, told The Spin in an interview today tolling the highway from the Virginia to the South Carolina lines seems the best option for funding major highway improvements. “Could I tell you that two to three years down the road? I could not tell you.”

Canales said DOT is studying the practicability of putting tool booths on the road. He said the study would not be completed until about 18 to 24 months.

The department will hold meetings with the public and government officials before starting, Canales said.

The Spin first reported Tuesday night Roanoke Rapids Mayor D.N. Beale stating DOT officials told him tolling the highway was a reality, although few details were forthcoming.

The state Turnpike Authority told The Spin this morning no proposals on the matter have been brought to the agency.

City employees will say farewell to Pete Connet and welcome Paul Sabiston next Thursday at the Jo Story Senior Center.

Employees are paying for the luncheon from their own pockets, Mayor D.N. Beale said this morning. The luncheon will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Beale said an event introducing new City Manager Sabiston to the entire community is being planned. Sabiston begins his job Monday. Interim City Manager Connet will stay to brief him.

Connet bid council farewell at its Tuesday night meeting.

Beale said the city was glad to have Connet. “He’s really a nice guy. I’m sure Smithfield (where he previously worked) was glad to have him.”

Sabiston has been in Shallotte nearly five years and was town administrator in Mexico Beach, Fla., before that.

The city manager will earn $95,000 a year and will receive a monthly car allowance of $350 and 35 cents per mile for business travel outside Halifax County. He will receive a PDA/Blackberry device from the city and will be reimbursed up to $9,000 for moving expenses with the understanding he gets two estimates.

The city will pay temporary living expenses of $500 per month until he obtains a sale and closes on his existing home not to exceed six months. He is required to obtain permanent residency within the city limits within six months.

After attending a meeting with state Department of Transportation officials in Wilson today, Roanoke Rapids Mayor D.N. Beale says the tolling of Interstate 95 is a reality.

“They cleared up a lot of things,” Beale told council during its meeting tonight.

One of the things cleared up, the mayor said, “The tolling of I 95 is going to happen. Eventually it’s going to happen.”

Late last month the North Carolina Turnpike Authority took possession of $1.01 billion in bond proceeds and federal loans allowing it to award construction contracts to build the state's first modern toll road, the Triangle Expressway in Wake and Durham counties, a July 29 press release from the authority said.

Beale said it was not clear when the move to tolling the heavily traveled I-95 would happen, but it would most likely occur within the next five to 10 years. There have already been engineering studies.

The mayor said there was no mention of revenues from the tolling of the highway. 

The Triangle Expressway is a new-location roadway from the NC 55 Bypass near Holly Springs to I-40 at NC 147. This toll road system is approximately 18.8 miles in length and is comprised of three segments: Western Wake Freeway, Triangle Parkway and existing NC 540 between NC 55 and NC 54.  The project is a six-lane, controlled-access toll road and is expected to save customers up to 20 minutes per full trip.  The Triangle Parkway is scheduled to open to traffic in 2011 while the Western Wake Freeway is scheduled to open to traffic in 2012.   

According to the press release, the Triangle Expressway will be the first project in the United States designed and built to use an all electronic toll collection system, meaning there will be no toll booths and no stopping to pay tolls.  Customers may use cash, check or credit card to buy an electronic transponder that will automatically charge for road use.  For those without a transponder, overhead gantries with high-speed camera imaging systems will capture license plate information and drivers will be billed.  The Triangle Expressway toll rates have not been set, however similar toll facilities around the country charge tolls in the range of 10 to 20 cents per mile.

In other city road matters Beale said he and the officials talked about extending Premier Boulevard to the Holiday Inn Express off NC 125.

The bridge has been designed with hopes businesses will build on either side of it, Beale said. There are, however, right of way issues that must still be worked out.

In other matters tonight council:

• Approved the conveyance of land located at 10th and Cedar streets to Halifax-Northampton Habitat for Humanity. Habitat will use that property to build a house after it finishes one on Glover Street.

• Listened to a brief farewell message from Interim City Manager Pete Connet. Connet will be leaving next Thursday after he briefs incoming City Manager Paul Sabiston on city issues, he said.

“I thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve for the last 2 1/2 months,” Connet said. “It’s been a pleasure to serve you. You’ve got a good new city manager starting Monday. Roanoke Rapids has a lot of positive things going for it.”

He said as the state and national economy begins to turn, so will the city’s.

Beale said the city appreciated Connet’s work. “You guided us through some tough times. You gave us guidance while we were trying to deal with a new manager.”