NEW: Doherty Against Pledges to Stop Tolls on Sakonnet River Bridge

NEW: Doherty Against Pledges to Stop Tolls on Sakonnet River Bridge

Republican Congressional candidate Brendan Doherty today renewed his pledge to do all he can to stop the controversial $4.00 tolls planned for the new Sakonnet River Bridge in 2013.

“This is not a fair toll--or ‘tax’--on the businesses and residents who travel the bridge every day,” Doherty said. “This is often called ‘the working person’s bridge’ and I have met many of the 40,000 drivers who depend on it daily. And, even with E-ZPass, this is not an expense many people in the East Bay can afford. We have to stop it and it won’t be easy.”

Doherty believes he still has a chance at halting the tolls by making the case to the Federal Highway Administration which has to approve the tolls.

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The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority says it needs to impose tolls to pay for maintenance on the new bridge, the Mt. Hope Bridge in Portsmouth, and the Pell Bridge in Newport. Unless the tolling is postponed, it will go into effect next spring.