Sioux City Journal

Why not consider a toll road approach to finishing Highway 20?

Posted: Thursday, February 21, 2008

MAPLETON, Iowa -- If there was one worthwhile article written in the Sioux City Journal this year it was the Feb. 12 front-page article on Highway 20 in which Anthon's Mike Sauser made comments. The former mayor of Anthon expressed his views clearly on a common-sense way of completing the 90-mile stretch of Highway 20 across northern Iowa.

From this article one surely understands the need for completion of this stretch of 90 miles of Highway 20 to four lanes. Why not consider a toll road to fund the project?

Our nation is sadly in need of down-to-earth grassroots ideas and a common-sense way of reaching a needed goal, as Mike suggests in the article. We have too long been mired down in excessively educated politics such as Dena Gray-Fischer, the Iowa Department of Transportation spokeswoman, who says Iowa law doesn't allow for toll roads in Iowa. Then change it.

My wife and I have traveled many toll roads in the United States as close as the Decatur Bridge west of Sloan to the sparsely populated areas of Kansas and found the road conditions safe and quite pleasant getting from point A to point B, paying just pennies per mile for comfortable traveling conditions. Why can't Iowa do it? Tolling this area until the project is paid for would be an easy way of funding the project.

I think Mike's common-sense idea of completing this much-needed 90-mile stretch should be taken under advisement. Iowa should not be the only place of such decision-making; Washington also needs these common-sense approaches to reaching much-needed goals. -- Louis Kuehl

Story Comments

Steven wrote on Feb 21, 2008 12:13 PM:

" The cost of a Toll Road would be outragous. Every country gravel road that crosses Hwy. 20 would need a cloverleaf with Toll Booths. What do you expect that would cost to build, maintain and man? Get real people, there are better ways to get Hwy. 20 a Four-Lane. When we get gas rationing, there will be no need for a four lane Hwy. 20. Yes, it is coming along with the Govt. telling you how many miles you can travel a week or month. Look into the future, instead of what some other states have done. I can't believe the mentality of people today. "

leroy wrote on Feb 21, 2008 9:26 AM:

" so they put a toll on until the road is paid for. look at the bridge at decatur. that bridge is about 100 years old. the toll bridge at nebraska city is in such bad shape it is hardly usable.when are these bridges going to be paid for? the other 200 miles of hwy. 20 did not need a toll to pay for it, and hwy. 60 did not need a toll. why does hwy 20 have to be a toll road to get it finished? "

larryj wrote on Feb 21, 2008 8:41 AM:

" GREAT IDEA , Louis ! I travel some, too and I think you have the right idea I for one would be glad to pay a small toll to help this project get DONE ! And I bet others would too, why won't our elected officials listen to us?? "