CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The head of the Kane County Board is already talking about the elimination of a bridge toll on Longmeadow Parkway even before the 95-cent toll has been formally approved.
The Kane County Board’s Transportation Committee approved Tuesday tolls for the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge, which is supposed to open in 2022. The full board is likely to take up the measure next month.
Tolls would be 95-cents per trip with yearly discounted tolls available. Kane County and Algonquin residents would be eligible to pay a $200 yearly toll, while regular bridge users from out of the county may opt for a discounted $300 yearly toll.
County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen said the plan is to eventually end the toll after the bridge’s debt is paid off.
"I hope it’s 15 to 20 years. I don’t have a crystal ball. We are committed to that, but I understand that not one person has to believe it," he said.
He understands people's skepticism.
"I sure am sensitive to that, because one of the biggest jokes in Illinois historical politics is the tollways will be free after we pay back the debt," Lauzen said.
Administration of the toll is next up for discussion. Lauzen wants to see if he can get a better deal than what he said the tollway authority is offering: a $1 fee for every $2 in tolls collected.