Key Toll Road Contractor Plans to Quit Project

In the latest in a series of mounting problems for Orange County’s toll roads, the project’s largest contractor--the company responsible for all toll collection on the 52 miles of roads--plans to quit with two years left on its contract, saying less-than-projected traffic is costing it too much money.

The exit of Lockheed Martin IMS would leave toll road officials with the massive task of collecting all automated and manual tolls on the roads by next spring, according to memos exchanged by the two sides. Lockheed made about $15 million from its contract for the fiscal year that ends this month, and was on track to make between $12 million and $15 million a year for each of the final two years, according to toll road officials.

The move, which may be formalized as soon as next week, follows a year of contentious discussions between Lockheed Martin and the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which have both lobbed complaints of ineptitude at each other.