Deh Cho Bridge tolls brought in $4.4M in last fiscal year
Total of $9.7M in tolls collected so far from bridge that cost $202M
The Northwest Territories government collected $4,429,670.25 in tolls from the Deh Cho Bridge in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, according to the Department of Transportation.
That's about $400,000 more than what the government expected to collect each year. In 2013-2014, the government collected $3,920,570.80 in tolls, and $1,427,277.50 between December 2012 and March 2013.
That adds up to a total of $9.7 million in tolls collected since the bridge opened three years ago. The government raises toll prices annually based on the Consumer Price Index.
The tolls apply only to northbound commercial vehicles weighing more than 4,500 kg, and are on a rising scale based on the number of axles. Single use permits range from $95 to $392, while companies with trucks fitted with transponders pay for their trips on a monthly basis, at a rate of $77 to $374 per trip.
The bridge spans the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence and replaced a ferry and ice road crossing, providing the first year-round connection to the south for communities in the N.W.T.'s North Slave region, including Yellowknife.
It opened Nov. 30, 2012 and cost $202 million to build.