New Hampshire’s 10-year transportation plan is law after lawmakers override Ayotte’s veto
New Hampshire lawmakers enacted a 10-year transportation plan on August 19, 2026, after overriding Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s veto. The law changes statutory toll schedules, creates a temporary no-cost transponder program and adds major highway projects to the state’s 2027-2036 transportation plan.
The House voted 292-25 to override the veto, and the Senate voted 24-0, according to the state’s legislative records and contemporaneous reporting. The toll provisions and repeal of the existing statutory E-ZPass discount take effect January 1, 2027. The free-transponder provision begins December 1, 2026.
What changes at toll plazas on January 1, 2027
Beginning January 1, 2027, the law sets higher statutory toll rates for cash transactions and for vehicles using New Hampshire’s electronic toll system that are not listed on a funded New Hampshire E-ZPass account.
It also establishes statutory minimum toll rates for vehicles listed on a funded New Hampshire E-ZPass account and using New Hampshire electronic toll collection. Those minimum rates are lower than the cash and unfunded-account schedule, but the applicable amount varies by toll plaza and vehicle classification.
For example, at the Hooksett Main plaza, the January 1 schedule lists a Class 1 rate of $2 for cash transactions and electronic toll transactions not tied to a funded New Hampshire account. The statutory minimum for a Class 1 vehicle listed on a funded New Hampshire E-ZPass account is 70 cents.
The schedules also differ at Hooksett Ramp, Bedford, Hampton, Dover and Rochester. Drivers should not assume that every toll will double or that every E-ZPass transaction automatically receives the listed minimum rate. The law refers specifically to a funded New Hampshire E-ZPass account and New Hampshire electronic toll collection.
How the free-transponder period works
For 210 days beginning December 1, 2026, the Department of Transportation must issue a New Hampshire E-ZPass transponder at no cost to anyone who opens or currently maintains a funded New Hampshire E-ZPass account, if that new or current account holder requests one.
The provision does not make a free transponder automatic for every driver. A person must meet the funded-account condition and request the transponder during the statutory period.
The 210-day period runs through June 29, 2027. That start date is separate from the toll-rate changes: the new statutory toll schedules and repeal of the existing discount provision begin January 1, 2027.
What happens to the existing E-ZPass discount
HB 2026 repeals RSA 237:11, V, the statutory provision concerning an E-ZPass discount on established tolls on the New Hampshire turnpike system. The repeal takes effect January 1, 2027.
The repeal should not be confused with the new minimum-rate schedule for funded New Hampshire E-ZPass accounts. The law creates that new schedule while removing the prior statutory discount provision. Drivers should rely on the January 1 rates and implementation guidance issued under the new law rather than assume the old discount formula will continue.
Major projects added to the 2027-2036 plan
The law adds $146,888,734 for reconstruction and widening of Manchester’s I-293 Exit 6 and $74,902,494 for Exit 7, a combined $221,791,228. The project descriptions include interchange reconstruction and widening work in the Exit 6 and Exit 7 area, according to the statute and local reporting.
HB 2026 also adds $285,849,979 for widening I-93 from south of I-89 to the Merrimack River Bridge in the Bow-Concord area.
Another $68,547,475 is assigned to a group of projects in communities across the state. The package includes intersection, pedestrian, bicycle, stormwater, sidewalk, retaining-wall, guardrail and complete-streets work in Randolph, Enfield, Plymouth, Marlborough, Hillsborough, Madbury, Hooksett, Plaistow, Nashua, Dover, Somersworth, Rochester and Dunbarton.
The law authorizes projects and plan funding. It does not, by itself, establish that construction is complete or guarantee final delivery dates or final costs beyond the amounts listed in the statute.
Why the bill became law after the veto
Ayotte vetoed HB 2026 on July 10, 2026. After the House and Senate overrides on August 19, the measure became law without her signature under the New Hampshire Constitution.
Ayotte’s stated objection centered on affordability and the toll increases. In remarks reported after the override, she described the toll changes as a tax increase and argued that higher charges could make travel less affordable for residents and families. Those were the governor’s stated criticisms of the bill, not a neutral legal classification.
What drivers should do now
- Check whether your New Hampshire E-ZPass account is funded before the January 1, 2027, toll changes.
- Watch for Department of Transportation instructions on requesting a transponder during the December 1, 2026, through June 29, 2027, free-transponder period.
- If you regularly pay cash, review the January 1 rate schedule for the plaza and vehicle class you use.
- Do not assume the former statutory discount remains in place after January 1, 2027.
- Residents and businesses near Manchester, Bow, Concord and the other listed communities should follow future DOT notices for design, right-of-way and construction updates.
The immediate dates to track are December 1, 2026, when the free-transponder period begins, and January 1, 2027, when the new toll provisions and repeal of the existing statutory discount take effect.
Sources
- HB 2026 final text, Chapter 343
- New Hampshire Bulletin: Lawmakers override Ayotte vetoes
- Manchester Ink Link: Veto override brings over $221 million to I-293 exit renovations
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.