MERRIMACK – First-night revelers who frequently use the Everett Turnpike Exit 11 on and off ramps will be celebrating something extra as they usher in 2020.

The moment the calendar flips from 2019 to 2020, all the Exit 11 toll plazas will begin charging motorists exactly $0.00, thanks to a unanimous vote last month by Gov. Chris Sununu and the Executive Council.

That means motorists will save 50 cents each time they pass through any of the four plazas surrounding Exit 11. (Drivers with EZ-Pass transponders will save 35 cents).

The legislation, authored by state Sen. Shannon Chandley, D-Amherst, initially sought to shut down the toll plazas beginning July 1, but the majority of the Executive Council voted to move it up to Jan. 1.

The legislation, and its passage, is rather unique in that it drew bipartisan support from start to finish.

For instance, both Democrat Debora Pignatelli of Nashua, the District 5 Executive Councilor, and House Majority Leader Dick Hinch, a staunch Republican from Merrimack, backed the bill and hailed its passage.

Pignatelli, who said she’s focused on toll-relief in Merrimack since she was first elected to the council some 15 years ago, thanked “people who were with me every step of the way.”

Hinch, meanwhile said upon the bill’s passage in November that he is “extremely pleased” with the vote that “effectively eliminates” the Exit 11 tolls.

“This toll relief project has been in the works for 20 years,” Hinch said. “It has been a priority of current and former Merrimack state representatives, as well as numerous town selectmen and town councilors.”

The bill’s passage marks the second time within six years that motorists, especially those from Merrimack, have celebrated toll relief.

In 2014, state officials eliminated not only tolls, but both toll plazas, at Exit 12, the Bedford Road turnpike exit.

The Exit 11 closures leave Merrimack with only the Exit 10 toll plazas, which lead to Industrial Drive and the Merrimack Premium Outlets Mall.

State Department of Transportation officials said Monday in a statement that there are no plans at this time to remove the plazas themselves.

They advise motorists to exercise caution when using the Exit 11 on-and off-ramps, as crews will be working to remove and update signs and install traffic delineators – tall, reflective posts usually colored orange – to guide motorists.

The DOT also reminds motorists to not stop, but proceed slowly through the plazas.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, or at dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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