Converting Interstate 70 into a toll road could discourage residential and commercial growth in Warren County and lead to overcrowding on other roads not designed for heavier traffic. Those are some of the concerns expressed by local elected officials who oppose a proposal from MoDOT to charge drivers to use the interstate as a way to cover costs to rebuild the road. The proposed toll road would cover 200 miles of I-70 from the Highway 40/61 interchange in Wentzville to Independence. MoDOT has proposed three options for upgrading I-70, ranging in cost from $2 billion to $6 billion depending on the scope of the project. Improvements could include adding an additional lane, installing new medians and building dedicated lanes for trucks. MoDOT has scheduled a local public forum to hear and discuss transportation issues on Thursday, Feb. 23. The forum will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Warrenton High School. While the forum is open for people to discuss any local transportation issues, it's expected that a large portion of the meeting will be devoted to MoDOT's proposal to add toll roads to I-70. Local elected officials, including those from Warrenton and Wright City, said they plan to voice their opposition to the plan at the forum. "This is very much a threat to our economic survivable out here," Warrenton Ward 3 Alderman Don Broering said. "It would absolutely kill this community." Alderman Jim Schuchmann said toll roads in other states have hurt areas along the interstate, a fear shared by many community leaders. "If you've ever driven toward Texas, go through Oklahoma," Schuchmann said. "You drive 20 miles without seeing anything until you get to the next major toll spot. Then there are some businesses surrounding that and then another 20-30 miles of barren land." MoDOT Proposal MoDOT officials say I-70, one of the nation's busiest thoroughfares, can no longer accommodate increased traffic demands. The interstate carries an average of 31,000 vehicles daily in the corridor's most rural sections with 10,000-13,000 of those being trucks. Almost 70 percent of those trucks travel the entire length of the 200-mile highway. When I-70 was built, it was intended to carry 12,000-18,000 vehicles per day, according to officials. Traffic projections show that the I-70 corridor will operate in a "stop-and-go condition" from Kansas to St. Louis unless improvements are made, according to a press release outlining the proposed project. The entire I-70 corridor is at least 46 years old and its oldest sections are 55 years old, according to MoDOT. Officials said they will continue to resurface and maintain the highway the best they can if improvements are not approved. The increase in traffic has led to traffic backups anytime a lane is closed due to accidents or construction. MoDOT's plan does not reduce access to I-70 or its adjacent communities. MoDOT is proposing an electronic system to collect tolls from drivers. That would allow drivers to drive through a toll collection zone at highway speeds with an electronic tag placed on the windshield of a vehicle. MoDOT officials also have touted the economic benefits associated with the project. It's been estimated that 6,070 jobs per year at an average wage of $34,118 would be created and the cumulative economic output would total $29.5 billion for the project. According to MoDOT officials, other funding options to improve the interstate that have been rejected including increasing the state's fuel tax, which at its current rate of 17 cents is the third-lowest in the nation, or using a statewide sales tax. State Rep. Bart Korman, whose district covers Warren and Montgomery counties, has concerns about the toll road concept. He opposes a bill introduced last week by lawmakers that would authorize MoDOT to enter into a public-private partnership to finance, reconstruct and operate I-70. The partnership would allow the private sector to construct and operate I-70 in a lease agreement with MoDOT. Korman said the proposed bill is the wrong approach to the issue. He would like to see MoDOT consider funding improvements to I-70 by increasing the fuel tax or passing a sales tax. A combination of both, Korman said, may also be a viable alternative. "If done improperly, this will negatively impact the economic development in the area," Korman said. "I'm not a proponent for toll roads, but it needs to be done right." Local Concerns Currently, 57 percent of the local work force is employed outside of the county, a large portion of which drives east to St. Charles and St. Louis counties, according to Boonslick Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Steve Etcher. For some residents, a toll road at Wentzville might make it more practicable to live outside of the stretch where the toll is being charged and to live closer to where they work. Others may find alternative routes so that toll booths can be bypassed. Numerous elected officials said that a toll road would force more traffic on service roads that run parallel to I-70 and state highways. "Drivers will start using other roads to go around them," Warren County Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner stated. If I-70 turns into a toll road, companies may not be as interested in opening or operating plant in the county and shelling out extra money to have their trucks travel through the toll booths, officials said. It has yet to be determined what the price of the toll would be. But rates in other parts of the country have been in the range of 10 to 15 cents per mile for automobiles and two to three times that amount for trucks, according to MoDOT officials. Under those rates, it would cost $30 for a car to travel the entire length of I-70 and trucks could end up paying three times that amount. Wright City aldermen even went as far during last Thursday's meeting to take a formal stance opposing the I-70 toll road. Board members voted unanimously to pass a motion opposing MoDOT's proposal. City officials voiced concerns about the negative impact that could be felt locally and at the time when the city and county continue to grow. The county's population increased from 24,525 in 2000 to 32,513 in 2010, according to census figures released last year. The 33-percent jump was the third-fastest rate in the state. If the toll road concept does move forward, some officials prefer seeing a toll booth be placed further to the west outside of Warren County. Others feel it makes more sense to place the toll booths at the state lines. "You got to look at it and see the population," Wright City Mayor David Heiliger said. Sometime next month Boonslick Regional Planning Commission (BRPC), which assists local governments and works with MoDOT on transportation concerns, is expected to take a position on the I-70 toll road proposal. Etcher said the organization historically has not opposed toll roads, though it disagrees with any intent to do so on just one highway, as is the case with the current MoDOT proposal. He said the organization's Transportation Advisory Committee will review MoDOT's proposal at its next meeting on Feb. 29 and will forward a recommendation to BRPC members, which is scheduled to meet again in March. At that time, Etcher said, a formal position on the toll road should be made. "We recommend if tolls are necessary, you should toll all interstates uniformly," Etcher said. "That way the state is on a level playing field. It should be applied all across the state."