POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. -- Mason County residents learned Tuesday afternoon that an unfinished stretch of U.S. 35 could have one tollbooth and a trip might cost up to $4.

During a public meeting at the Mason County Courthouse, officials with the state Division of Highways discussed the possibility of tolls on U.S. 35, which also would affect neighboring Putnam County.

Those attending the meeting had a chance to ask questions of DOH officials about the specifics of the toll road construction plan, including booth location and the toll rate.

State transportation officials said late last week that the unfinished 14 miles between Buffalo and Point Pleasant could not be completed without the help of tolls.

"To finish the final 15 miles -- which is a large section of highway -- we need a pretty large infusion of cash at one time," DOH Engineering Director Gregory Bailey said.

He said that in order to relieve safety issues along the notoriously dangerous stretch of the old U.S. 35, the new highway should be completed as quickly as possible to allow another avenue for nonlocal truck traffic.

The only way for he road to be completed quickly is with the help of toll revenue, he said.

DOH hired a consulting firm to conduct a Bond Grade Toll Study to assess the rate of the tolls, and the number and location of the booths. The bond study also determines if tollbooths will generate enough revenue from the existing traffic to pay for the road.

The estimates from the study are preliminary, and not set in stone, DOH in-house design coordinator Jason Foster said. Ideally, U.S. 35 will have one booth.

Foster said the booth would be placed near Henderson, Mason County, where it is likely to generate the most revenue because there are fewer exits near that particular stretch of highway.

Bailey said the toll rate for a single trip down the 14-mile stretch of U.S. 35 is likely to fall between $1 and $4. Tolls for trucks are generally three to four times higher, he said.

The state Parkways Authority is expected to hold a meeting near the end of August to discuss the findings in the bond study. During that meeting, the precise locations of tollbooths and their exact rates will be discussed.

Mason County resident Gene Zopp said most traffic, including truck traffic, is likely to dodge the tolls.

"If you were an independent trucker and no one was paying your tolls, which road would you use?" he said.

Zopp said his main concern is that DOH will keep the tolls on U.S. 35 long after the road is paid for.

"I am convinced they will put a toll on it and keep it there," he said.

Foster said DOH does not have any information on the length of time the tolls are expected to stay on U.S. 35. DOH should have more information on that after the bond study is completed, he said.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a measure allowing the state Parkways Authority to operate more toll roads.

The new law requires county commissions to approve the idea of toll roads before they are implemented. Mason County Commissioner Miles Epling said all three commissioners were had decided to allow tolls on U.S. 35.

"We're like everybody else," Epling said. "We don't want a toll road either," but safety concerns weighed on their decisions to accept the tolls.

"If it's a last resort, then we're going to be for it -- and we are for it," he said.

Another meeting for Putnam County residents will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Putnam County Courthouse in Winfield. DOH officials encourage residents to attend the meeting and voice their concerns about the toll road.

Reach Zac Taylor at Zachary.Tay...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5189.