Officials Push for I-75/575 Toll Lanes

State officials announced Tuesday they are using their efforts to find funding for reversible toll lanes on Interstates 75 and 575 instead of the controversial light rail or bus rapid transit line running up to Cherokee County.

Taxpayers from the effected 10 counties are set to vote on the transit line in July along with a 10-year, 1 percent sales tax to fund the $6.14 billion list of transportation projects.

This rail system that would run from the  is the most expensive project on the list at $689 million.

Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee who led the announcement Tuesday, said this project is being sacrificed unless the legislators can find a way to juggle the toll lanes and this project with the state, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.

House Speaker David Ralstontold said last week he was not inclined to revisit the Transportation Improvement Act project list, which would require state legislation at this point since the roundtable has voted, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) supports making the change to the project list and told the MDJ after speaking with the governor's office about the I-75-575 project, Gov. Nathan Deal is committed to making the toll lanes happen.

Rogers said the next step is the legislators coming together to discuss a plan of action and where to go from here.