Ex-official proposes widening of Mass. highways

BOSTON (AP) -- A former state transportation official is proposing widening Route 3 south of Boston by creating a public-private partnership that would charge tolls for the right to use uncongested lanes.

Former Massachusetts deputy transportation secretary Ned Corcoran cites as a model the Virginia Department of Transportation's newly opened high-speed toll lanes on the Capital Beltway that can be used by single-occupancy vehicles that can use them for a toll based on the time of day and traffic volume.

Corcoran told The Boston Globe it's a way to address infrastructure needs that otherwise might not get dealt with for decades.

Frank DePaola, highway administrator for the state Department of Transportation, recently met with Corcoran's team and called the proposal "intriguing," although he said there are no plans to widen Route 3.