State leaders are flying to Austin, Texas, today to learn about toll roads. It's a trip to see how Texas has partnered with private groups to build toll roads — something Utah lawmakers want to do here.

"Does it mean we're warming up to toll roads?" asked Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland. "I hope so. I think we're on that path."

Texas lawmakers recently passed legislation allowing the state to enter into public-private partnerships for road building. Now the state is negotiating with a private group that wants to help build, manage and likely toll a new intra-state road.

The 14 Utah lawmakers traveling to Texas, including Dougall, will meet with people who helped facilitate those negotiations. They will also meet with lawmakers who passed legislation allowing Texas to join with the private sector for road building.

Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert is also going on the trip.

Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, said Utah lawmakers are interested in creating legislation to allow for public-private partnerships in Utah. Any future toll roads in Utah will likely be built with help from the private sector, he said.

Only one toll road currently exists in Utah, the privately built Adams Avenue Parkway south of Ogden. It is not a state road.

"The purpose of making the trip is to meet with our counterparts . . . and make sure that we have a well-rounded perspective of what it is that we would like to accomplish through similar legislation that would enable these public-private partnerships," said Killpack.

During the last legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill authorizing the Utah Department of Transportation to consider tolling as an option on new state roads. UDOT is already studying whether the proposed Mountain View Corridor could be a toll road.

Lawmakers and transportation officials say building toll roads with help from the private sector would allow new roads to be built faster. With that in mind, tolling with help from the private sector is an option Utah must consider, said Rep. Stuart Adams, R-Layton.

"If the public's opposed to it, we'll have a tough time implementing it, but something's got to be done and I think that's clear," he said. "We've got a $23 billion shortfall over the next 30 years. If people want to do something that's away from their house at all, there's going to have to be some funding."

Joseph Demma, spokesman for Lt. Gov. Herbert, said his office is interested in visiting with members of the private sector who agreed to help finance road building in Texas. The lieutenant governor will bring back information to share at an Oct. 14 transportation summit where state officials and business leaders will meet and discuss ways to fund new roads and transit projects.

The 14 lawmakers and Herbert will depart for Texas early this morning. UDOT is sending three officials on the trip. Four members of the private sector will also attend.

The group will return Saturday afternoon. The trip is being funded by a federal grant obtained by the agency. Those in the private sector are paying their own way.

On Sept. 21, lawmakers who traveled to Texas will brief members of the legislative Transportation Interim Committee about their trip.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com