State Senate Panel Discusses Options for I-70 Toll

A variety of funding options emerged Wednesday during the Senate Transportation Committee's discussions on how to pay for the Interstate 70 reconstruction using tolls, according to a report in the Columbia Missourian. 

A proposed toll has garnered serious backlash from Missouri residents and local politicians alike, and would pay for reconstructing a 200 mile stretch of the highway between Independence and Wentzville. The project, if approved, is estimated to cost between $2 billion and $4 billion.

According to an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, through a representative, urged the committee to end the tolled section of I-70 west of Wentzville and possibly outside the county altogether.

From the Missourian:

Committee chairman Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, mentioned a one-cent increase in Missouri's current sales tax as another possible funding stream. That measure would pull in an additional $700 million to $750 million in revenue a year, according to MoDOT.

MoDOT director Kevin Keith said a problem with increasing the sales tax is that revenue collected from the tax is dispersed across the entire state. Tolls would ensure the finances flow directly to I-70 because of the private investors maintaining the interstate...

MoDOT currently spends $70 million to $80 million a year on maintaining I-70, which is a little more than one-tenth of its annual revenue.

A 15-cent increase in the state's fuel tax was also discussed as a funding option. Missouri's current fuel tax, which hasn't increased since 1992, is 17 cents per gallon.

Estimates have the fuel tax increase pulling in an additional $450 million a year, Keith said.

Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi said a tollway would have significant financial consequences for Wentzville. 

The city's board of aldermen were no less concerned at their last meeting, where they asked Lambi if he intends to band together with neighboring mayors to lobby for the proposals demise.

Lambi said he had yet to be contacted by any Missouri legislator about the possible toll road that would charge drivers between Independence and Wentzville. He also said he didn't know of any local politician in favor of the proposal.

Meanwhile, the Missouri Department of Transportation has scheduled a public forum tonight from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Warrenton High School where residents could discuss the issue.

From emissourian.com:

While the forum is open for people to discuss any local transportation issues, it's expected that a large portion of the meeting will be devoted to MoDOT's proposal to add toll roads to I-70.

Local elected officials, including those from Warrenton and Wright City, said they plan to voice their opposition to the plan at the forum.

For more on the toll project, CLICK HERE.

For a MoDot FAQ on the project, CLICK HERE.

For MoDot's White Paper on the issue, CLICK HERE.