State officials are negotiating for lower proposed tolls with Elizabeth River Crossings, a private group that wants to expand the Midtown Tunnel. Officials put the cost of adding a second tube to the Midtown Tunnel, refurbishing the Downtown Tunnel and extending  the Martin Luther King Freeway at an estimated cost of $1.9 billion. Transportation officials say the proposed construction would fix two of the region's worst traffic bottlenecks.

The planned estimated base toll for both the Midtown and Downtown tunnels is $2.17 for cars and $6.52 for trucks. State officials are trying to get the tolls lowered -- perhaps to as low as $1.50.

Read more in The Virginian-Pilot....