Until three years ago, the E-470 authority managed to pay off all city and county debt and refinance the debt. The road will remain semi-private up until 2076 when it is completely paid off and will be turned over to the state.

DeLozier said cash savings are critical to ensure there is enough money to repave and repair it. He told UDOT officials that a "sinking fund" is set aside to ensure perpetual road repairs well into the future. Repairs have plagued toll roads in Eastern states as many toll roads, some many decades old, fall into disrepair.

"You're turning smooth as glass into a broken mirror," DeLozier told Utah officials.

Of course, not every motorist pays the toll. When a motorist crosses a toll area without an electronic pass or paying cash, a series of cameras snap photos of the vehicle's rear license plate.

At the E-470 operations center, several employees spend time reading violator photos and sending out bills. The owner of the automobile, not necessarily the actual driver, is responsible for paying up.

E-470 director David Kristick said they get about 8,000 to 9,000 violators a day. Many of them intend to pay later or may not have their e-pass set up properly. Of those, Kristick said 400 to 500 are considered true deadbeats that add up to about 27,000 toll violations a month.

With all the high-tech innovations, some violators have found a rather low-tech solution: mud on the plates. Kristick said they have had some trucking companies busted for muddying their plates.

Repeat violators soon "become candidates for our most valued customer program, courtesy of the Colorado Highway Patrol," Kristick said.

Unpaid tolls are sent to Colorado's court system and unpaid tolls allow motor vehicle officials to refuse to renew the vehicles' annual registration.

UDOT is taking the idea of toll roads seriously, but it will be up to the Utah Legislature to have the final say if Utah is ready for such a shift in a state where roads have been considered bought and paid for up front.

"We've got to find a new model," said John Njord, executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation. "Whether toll roads happen in Utah is a debate of public policy."

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Contributing: Nicole Warburton

E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com