By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Opposition continues to grow against putting toll booths on the proposed new Mississippi River Bridge in St. Louis.
Some Missouri officials have discussed the idea of funding the project partly with a $2 toll. But elected officials in Illinois say that would be unfair to drivers from their state.
State Senator James Clayborn (D-East St. Louis) says everyone that he's spoken with is opposed to the idea. "And one of the reasons why Illinois has come up with a substantial amount of money and for our Illinois residents to cross the bridge and pay again we see that as a double tax.
"So we're hoping that we can work through this issue and Missouri can find additional money to come up and make sure it's not a toll bridge."
Missouri officials are awaiting the results of a second study of the bridge funding before making a final decision on the toll issue.
The bridge cost is currently at $900 million.
U.S. Senator Kit Bond (R-Missouri), meanwhile, is not getting involved in the conflict, saying he has already done his part.
"Our job was to get them the resources," Bond said last week. "The Missouri DOT told us they needed $50 million and I got them $75 million. And it is up to them to build the badly needed bridge and they will have to work it out."
The Illinois Department of Transportation says a financing plan doesn't have to be finalized until December.