Credit: PennDOT HARRISBURG, Pa. - A judge has ordered a temporary halt to Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to toll as many as nine major bridges on interstates in Pennsylvania, siding Wednesday with Cumberland County and a handful of municipalities that are challenging the process as both illegal and unconstitutional.Commonwealth Court Judge Ellen Ceisler ordered the halt, saying the state Department of Transportation must stop all studies, right-of-way acquisitions, construction or work under any contracts, and put off any planned hearings, meetings or spending.Wolf’s push for tolling comes as states increasingly look to user fees to make up for declining gas tax revenue that is not keeping up with the demands of fixing highways and bridges.
However, it has spurred opposition from some communities and Republican lawmakers, who say it will be costly to locals and businesses and create congestion.MORE HEADLINES:It also comes amid rising gas prices.
Wolf himself only has eight months left in office, and neither of his potential successors in November's election support it.Republican state Sen.
Doug Mastriano, who won the GOP's nomination in Tuesday's primary contest to run for governor, has backed legislation to effectively put a stop to the plan.Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro also opposes it, his campaign said, pointing to his comments last week to the Courier-Express newspaper that he would look to other state and federal dollars to put toward the bridges.The lawsuit was filed in March by Cumberland County and seven municipalities.PennDOT could appeal the preliminary injunction to the state Supreme Court.