Will I-70 in Missouri Ever Be a Toll Road? It’s NOT Impossible

This is a question you probably think you know the answer to and you're probably right. Could I-70 ever be a toll road? Despite what you might have heard, it's NOT impossible and I can prove it.

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Are you under the impression that interstates like I-70 which crosses Missouri cannot ever be toll roads? You're mostly correct, but I did find a loophole on the MODOT I-70 website.

Here's the I-70 dilemma for Missouri...

MODOT estimates that the interstate needs something along the lines of $3 billion dollars in improvements and they need to find funding to make that happen. Here's the "what if" scenario they shared on their website:

Federal law prohibits tolls on existing interstates, and Missouri law states that no state highway funds may be used on toll facilities. A special federal provision, however, allows three states to toll one interstate per state as pilot projects, although none are currently using this provision. If Missouri wanted to toll an interstate, MoDOT could ask for permission to toll one facility as a pilot project.

So you're saying there's a chance?

I know this concept has been defeated in the past, but I can't help but think of the infamous toll booths along the Kansas Turnpike. As if traveling through Kansas isn't challenging enough (staying awake during the boring 6 or 7 hour drive), the toll booth is the cherry on top of the driving ice cream.

Will it happen on I-70 in Missouri? I highly doubt it. But, it's not impossible and that's my point.