It hasn’t taken long for North Carolina’s first toll roads – and prospects for more – to make an impression.

From Research Triangle Park to Rocky Mount to Smithfield to Lumberton, everyone seems to have an opinion. And with good reason. Even if you vow never to pay one penny in tolls for using a highway that traditionally has been funded by a high gasoline tax, the presence of toll equipment on Interstate 95 will have an effect on your traveling habits.

That’s why Thursday’s public hearing at the Imperial Centre in Rocky Mount is so important to drivers in Eastern North Carolina. It marks one of the earliest opportunities for you to weigh in on the proposal before N.C. Department of Transportation engineers and decision-makers.

There’s a plum in the package for Rocky Mount. A proposed interchange at Sunset Avenue has the potential to boost economic development through a giant retailer or, perhaps, a theme park.

Is that worth paying $2 to drive from here to Wilson and another two bucks for the return trip?

That’s an economic decision that will be weighed by each of us in about seven years, if plans develop as proposed.

The prospect doesn’t sit well with everyone. The voices of supporters and opponents, alike, will be welcomed as the public hearing begins at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Let the state know how you feel.