JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Several Missouri lawmakers say there should be discussion next year about installing tolls on Interstate 70 between Kansas City and St. Louis.
Officials of the Missouri Department of Transportation outlined a plan for making I-70 a toll road at a hearing Wednesday of a joint legislative committee. Members of the panel praised MoDOT for starting the discussion, but stopped short of endorsing the toll road idea.
The committee's chairman, Sen. Bill Stouffer, says the Legislature needs public input about how to fund Missouri's transportation infrastructure.
MoDOT has asked lawmakers for authority to form a partnership with private contractors who would rebuild I-70 and recover the costs with revenue from tolls. Officials say the interstate is wearing out and at capacity for handling car and truck traffic.