ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The head of the Missouri Department of Transportation says it wouldn't take a public vote to rebuild Interstate 70 using tolls.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that director Kevin Keith says private sector companies would fund the project and collect tolls to recoup their investment.
Keith has outlined a proposal to rebuild the rural stretch of I-70 between Highway 40-61 near Wentzville and Interstate 470 near Kansas City. The project could cost $2 billion to $4 billion.
Keith says that with highway funding in scarce supply, an I-70 toll road appears to be the most viable option.
But the Missouri Trucking Association says the I-70 toll question should go to voters. Previous efforts to pass constitutional amendments to permit state toll roads and bridges have failed.
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