Galveston County commissioners have voted to eliminate the longstanding $2 cash toll on the San Luis Pass bridge, citing traffic delays and plans for a replacement bridge.
Following a vote Monday by Galveston County commissioners to remove the fee and absorb the nearly $500,000 in annual income the $2 toll to cross the San Luis Pass bridge generates is on its way out.
Commissioners said the relocation will simplify travel and minimize bottlenecks on one of the main escape routes on the island, making the bridge the only land-based path back to Houston or Austin, particularly when Interstate 45 is shut.
Commissioner Darrell Giusti told the Galveston County Daily News, "It's a cash-only system, which causes big problems during high-traffic times." "Traffic merely piles up here when 45 is backed up."
Long an annoyance for drivers, the toll's cash-only policy presented the county with staffing difficulties. Giusti also mentioned that the county's human resources section is already assisting toll booth staff members in moving into other county positions—some of whom are qualified for retirement.
Built in the 1960s following Hurricane Carla's destruction of the former bridge, the San Luis Pass bridge already exhibits aging. In 2023, the Texas Department of Transportation graded the bridge as in poor condition, citing cracked concrete and failing beams.
The toll might vanish, but the bridge might not be far behind. Galveston County is investigating replacement building finance sources. Commissioners approved County Judge Mark Henry in February to seek federal grant money to cover over $83 million of the projected $103 million renovation cost.
Voters will decide in May whether to approve the nearly $20 million contribution from the county as part of a larger $186 million bond proposal.
No particular schedule for the replacement bridge has been revealed.
