Poll: Should Wyoming Make Interstate 80 A Toll Road?
Wyoming Senator Micheal Von Flatern says he thinks Interstate 80 in Wyoming should be made a toll road.
The senator says one reason he supports the idea is that the interstate was closed much of the winter, often preventing lawmakers from making it home for the weekend.
Under Von Flatern's proposal, I-80 would be expanded to three lanes on each side, with the third lane that would be used by cars and passenger vehicles. He says tolls charged to Wyoming passengers could be paid by the state's federal mineral royalties.
The idea of making I-80 a toll road is not a new one. it was proposed in 2009, though it failed to win approval from state lawmakers. Supporters of the toll at that time argued that it was a way to generate revenues from the many non-residents who use the interstate.