Saturday, December 20, 2014
The Joplin (Mo.) Globe: In the “you had to see this coming” category, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon asked state highway officials to take a look at turning Interstate 70 into a toll road.
The Missouri Department of Transportation wasn’t kidding around when it said it needed revenue sources if major improvements were going to be made to state highways.
In August, voters overwhelmingly gave the thumbs-down to a sales tax to pay for highway improvements. One of the big objections heard was that the big users —trucking companies — would not be paying their share based on the wear and tear they put on roads.
The Associated Press reported that Nixon has sent a letter to the transportation commission requesting a report by the end of December on options for using tolls to improve and expand the heavily used interstate between Kansas City and St. Louis.
Price tag
Highway officials say I-70 needs to be widened to three lanes in each direction. MoDOT has estimated such a project could cost between $1.5 billion to $4 billion.
It’s time that Missouri’s leadership comes to grips with the costs of good roads, and tolls could be the answer.