More toll roads are likely in Indiana's future, House Speaker Bosma predicts

It may not be next year but revenue from tolls will help address a projected $2 billion annually in needed road projects, said Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis.

"It's very clear that tolling has to be a part of this in the future. We don't know the form it's going to take. It could be tolling for truck lanes. It could be tolling for new lanes. It could potentially be tolling for some existing lanes in the future if the federal government says so," Bosma said Thursday morning.

Indiana would need federal approval to expand tolling on interstates.

As the Indiana General Assembly winds down this week, the remaining issues are the state's biennial budget and funding for roads.

The session began with estimates that $1.2 billion would be needed annually for roads over a 20-year period. That is expected to be raised through a 10-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax increase beginning in 2018. In addition, the state's sales tax on gasoline is expected to be shifted from the general fund into roads.

Legislators are working with a plan that would raise $1.2 billion annually for state roads and $775 million annually for local roads by 2024.

The funding plan could be presented as early as Thursday afternoon.