Tolls on I-70? State moves forward to raise money by tolling the interstateA representative for INDOT told the House Committee on Roads and Transportation that the governor had petitioned the Federal Highway Administration for permission to put tolls on I-70."We have submitted a waiver to toll I-70," Aaron Wainscott, INDOT legislative director, said on Monday, Jan. 5. "That was submitted last year."INDOT has warned lawmakers of a "fiscal cliff" due to falling gas tax revenue as Hoosiers move to fuel efficient and electric cars. Tolling is one way the state could close the funding gap by harnessing Indiana's role as the crossroads of America.House Enrolled Act 1461, signed into law in 2025, makes it easier to create toll roads in Indiana. It does that by allowing INDOT to apply for a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) to toll any highway in the state.State Sen. Michael Crider (R-District 28) authored that law and said toll revenue would make highways wider, smoother and better for drivers. Crider says I-70 could potentially be widened to six lanes in each direction. A recent analysis shows tolling could generate around $38 billion for Indiana through 2050."We're already getting feedback that folks don't like the idea," Crider said. "I don't particularly like the idea either. I don't see another viable option."Crider said even if Indiana applies for and gets the green light for establishing toll roads from the federal government, it's a long process. It would likely take five years from the point of approval, with plenty of opportunity for feedback from the public along the way.Wainscott said the state was still waiting on an answer. "We've received good feedback from federal highway," Wainscott told lawmakers. "But we don't have a timeline for approval."
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