Study analyzes tolling proposed Carolina Bays Parkway Extension

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Findings from a state tolling analysis indicate the proposed Carolina Bays Parkway Extension into Brunswick County wouldn’t generate enough traffic and revenue to significantly reduce the cost of the estimated $800 million project.

The North Carolina Turnpike Authority analyzed the feasibility of tolling the highway project that would connect North and South Carolina, potentially providing a quicker route between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach.

“This project will help alleviate congestion,” said David Roy, who oversaw the study. “But the volumes on the new location, from a tolling perspective, just weren’t gonna be sufficient.”

The study found that tolls could generate several million dollars annually by 2045. However, Roy said that revenue would only cover regular road maintenance.

“Analysis shows the project would be unlikely to generate sufficient revenues to reduce the cost of construction to the State as a result of tolling under any of the scenarios analyzed,” the study says. “NCDOT and NCTA are not advocating for a particular path forward.”

The analysis examined three scenarios for the parkway extension. The first phase would connect the Carolinas to Ash Little River Road, north of Route 17. There are two options for the second phase: a shorter connection eventually linking to Route 17 near Grissettown or a longer option extending to Shallotte. The longer option would generate the most revenue if tolled, the study found.

“In any of those three scenarios…none of them showed significant revenue,” Roy said.

The proposed project has drawn opposition from Brunswick County residents. Several hundred people attended a public hearing in Sunset Beach in October, with many expressing concerns about traffic, cost and environmental impacts.

Adding a toll would likely generate further frustration, but Roy said tolls aren’t always the answer for funding.

“It’s not the right solution for every project, and it really does require significant volume before, I think, it starts to make sense,” he said.

Transportation leaders on both sides of the state line must now determine how to fund the project. Alternative funding options, beyond a toll, include a sales tax, bond or state appropriation.

North Carolina, where most of the construction would take place, would be responsible for about $610 million of the $797 million cost.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, with completion timelines varying based on which scenario moves forward. In the study, the first phase was assumed to open in 2035, with the second phase in 2040.

Roy said the project has also been submitted as a toll project in the latest NCDOT Prioritization round, where it’ll receive a score that could impact future funding decisions.