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Friday, May 24, 2013 | 9:04 p.m.

Updated: 10:35 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007 | Posted: 10:07 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007

Truckers Speak Out About Tolling I-80

TYRONE, Pa. —

Plans to toll Interstate 80 continues to be a hot-button issue. And although most people don't care to pay the fee, truck drivers are concerned about the safety.

Wright Riley, a truck driver from Tyrone, covers at least 150,000 miles a year. Like many truckers in the region, he drives I-80 everyday.

Riley said it would cost him and other truckers nearly $321 to drive their rigs across Pennsylvania and back, if I-80 becomes a toll road.

Riley said, to avoid the costs, he and other drivers would scoot around the highway, finding alternate routes. However, driving on secondary roads might not be safe for the trucks or for other drivers on the road.

"If you go down in the valley and you're following a string of cars at 40 mph, first thing you're going to do, you're going to try to pass," said Riley.

Riley said with consumers already taking a hit for high fuel costs, reflected in groceries and other products, factoring in tolls for carrying loads would be yet another drop in the bucket.

"They didn't think of our interests at all on their behalf. Everyone is looking at the bottom line. If we toll I-80, look how much money we're going to get, but how much money are we wasting?" said Riley.

Riley said he and his colleagues think tolling I-80 is already a done deal, but they hope their opinion will be reflected next Tuesday when they vote for lawmakers looking out for their best interest.

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