Reported by Brendan LaChance of Oil City News
CASPER, Wyo. — A bill that will come before the Wyoming Legislature in 2020 would establish a tolling program for I-80 in the state.
“To finance, construct, operate and maintain interstate 80 and accommodate the needs of the traveling public through safe, efficient, convenient and modern vehicular traffic, it is necessary and in the public interest to provide for the financing, construction, operation, regulation and maintenance of interstate 80 under a tolled configuration,” the proposed bill reads.
“The tolled configuration will allow interstate 80 to be maintained and to be operated in a way that will reduce traffic congestion, delays, hazards, injuries and fatalities.”
The bill would authorize the Wyoming Transportation Commission to create the tolling master plan and establish toll fees.
The proposed bill does not outline any fee amounts.
The Joint Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Committee are the sponsors for the bill.
“It is estimated that developing the master plan will cost the Department of Transportation between $1 million and $1.25 million to complete,” a fiscal note for the proposed legislation reads. “Since the bill is effective immediately, some of these expenditures could be incurred during FY 2020 if this bill is approved during the 2020 Legislative Session.”
The legislature’s 2020 budget session is set to begin on February 10.
