As we demonstrate that we are improving the corridor and making it safer and more efficient for commercial traffic, people will understand that we also need to pay for the improvements. Tolling is the way we might do that. If there's another [funding] alternative, would be glad to look at it.

Will this be a state-run effort?

We're well aware of the developments in [public-private partnership] financing over the last 10 years, and it could be a hybrid. Parts of it might be done under a P3, and parts might be done under the traditional state-funded mechanisms. We're open to what makes the most sense as we move forward.

What are your thoughts on the future of the federal transportation funding program, and how could it play out for North Carolina?

There are two critical things I would like to see out of a federal bill: One is stability for at least a few years, so we know what we're getting. If it's level funding, fine, just tell us that. [We also need] flexibility.

Don't prescribe exactly what we have to do with every dollar. Give each state the ability to respond to their [own] needs. We have a different set of needs in North Carolina than they might have in North Dakota or Illinois or Ohio.

We would like to invest more dollars in rail. We should be able to if we're relieving highway congestion as a result. Stability and flexibility are more important than any particular level of funding.

One of the differences between approaches of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate is that the Senate decided [it] could figure out a two-year bill a lot easier than a five-year bill. If you can [figure out how to] cover a two-year bill, do that. Don't spend the next year worrying about how to cover a five-year bill, because that's not helpful to us.

So don't take away the ability to toll. Don't take away the federal financial support through the [Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act] and programs like that, where we can use loan programs to piece together financing packages. These are all important roles for the federal government.