A state study has sparked debate on whether tolls should be raised on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a report from The Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot said Wednesday.

The bridge-tunnel is a 17-mile link on U.S. 13 that runs from the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area to Virginia's Eastern Shore. Tolls for tractor-trailers can run as high as $36 per trip. The current toll for most cars is $10 each trip, with a discount for car drivers who make a round trip within 24 hours.

The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission, in a study released Tuesday, said the state would not have enough money to begin work on a parallel route before 2020 without increasing the round-trip toll. But the study also said current tolls would cover maintenance and operating costs through 2025.

According to The Pilot, some state leaders say that proves tolls are high enough now.

Supporters of adding another bridge-tunnel - and the higher tolls to pay for it - say it is needed to accommodate increasing traffic. But some in state government say predictions of future traffic levels are exaggerated. Delegate Leo C. Wardrup (R-Virginia Beach) noted that the bridge-tunnel's traffic is just reaching figures its builders expected by 1978.