Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said he would like to lease the Ohio Turnpike to a private operator for $3 billion in cash.
Kasich talked about a possible lease during his campaign last year but mentioned a specific price for the first time at a Feb. 10 speech to the Ohio Newspaper Association, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
The Ohio Trucking Association has adopted a wait-and-see attitude on a possible lease, said OTA President Larry Davis.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that they鈥檙e going to do that, I haven鈥檛 seen anything,鈥 he told Transport Topics.
Kasich鈥檚 press secretary, Rob Nichols, said the governor鈥檚 remarks reflected his theme that 鈥渆verything鈥檚 on the table,鈥 including leasing the turnpike, as a means to improving the state鈥檚 financial situation.
The 241-mile highway runs east-west across northern Ohio as Interstates 80 and 90, connecting to the Indiana East West Toll Road and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Of the 48.9 million vehicle trips on the Ohio Turnpike last year, trucks accounted for nearly 10 million.
Transport Topics