HARRISBURG -- Everyone agrees that Pennsylvania needs to quickly generate $1 billion a year for many years to fix hundreds of miles of ailing highways and several thousand deteriorating bridges as well as bolster dozens of struggling mass transit systems.

But the two leading ideas for raising so vast a sum -- Act 44 of 2007, which includes the controversial idea of slapping first-time tolls on Interstate 80, and Gov. Ed Rendell's much-criticized plan to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private operator for 75 years -- are both facing difficult, time-consuming battles.

A potential third option -- raising the state's tax on gasoline -- is regarded as dead in the water, given public outrage that already exists over $4-a-gallon gasoline.

The Federal Highway Administration will likely take months before deciding whether to permit the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to erect toll areas every 30 or so miles along the 311 miles of I-80, which stretches across the north-central section of the state from Ohio to New Jersey. The commission submitted a revised proposal with more details yesterday but federal officials aren't expected to act on it for several months.

And some legislators, most notably Rep. Joe Markosek, D-Monroeville, are already claiming the turnpike leasing plan is "dead," saying such a valuable asset shouldn't be run by a Spanish firm, Abertis, even though it is working with an American partner, Citigroup.

Some state officials think it's premature to pronounce the turnpike lease dead. Mr. Rendell, who says the state would get $1 billion a year for many years from a turnpike lease, is still hoping the Legislature will act on the idea when it returns in mid-September.

The I-80 tolling idea did take a step forward yesterday, as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission formally resubmitted a detailed toll application to the FHWA.

"We're confident that we've made a compelling case for federal approval, and we expect to continue to work with [FHWA] staff as they review our application," said turnpike Chief Executive Officer Joseph Brimmeier.

Tolling I-80 was one of two funding components of Act 44, enacted in July 2007 as a way to generate nearly $1 billion a year for repairing highways and bridges and helping mass transit.

The other component is raising the existing tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike by 25 percent, starting in January, and then by 3 percent each year thereafter.

The Turnpike Commission submitted its original I-80 toll application in October, but federal officials sent it back in December with a long, detailed list of questions about where the toll booths would be placed and how the money would be spent on road and bridge improvements.

In the meantime, congressmen from Northern Pennsylvania, such as Reps. John Peterson of Venango and Phil English of Erie, have kept up a steady attack on the proposed tolls. Joined by mayors, business owners, residents and state legislators, they contend the region's economy will be seriously damaged if cars and trucks have to pay to use a road that has always been free in its 50-year history.

Mr. Peterson's strong opposition "has not changed because of the Turnpike Commission's re-submission," spokesman Patrick Creighton said yesterday.

The Peterson staff "is now going through the amended application with a fine-toothed comb. Once we fully digest this, we will definitely issue a public statement. The tolling of I-80 would worsen the economic future of Pennsylvania."

The Turnpike Commission would operate the I-80 tolls if they are approved. The commission and the state Transportation Department have worked for the last several months to come up with a detailed plan for spending $2.5 billion a year for 10 years to improve the highway's pavement, off- and on-ramps and the road's many bridges.

Officials said that $25 billion is much more improvement to I-80 than PennDOT had originally planned.

"This new application is much more detailed than the first application," said turnpike spokesman Bill Capone.

Some people were wondering what was taking the Turnpike Commission so long to answer the Federal Highway Administration's questions. Mr. Rendell recently urged the turnpike to resubmit its I-80 tolling application quickly.

In a letter to the feds yesterday, Mr. Rendell said, "I urge you to give prompt, favorable consideration to this amended application so that Pennsylvania can reconstruct this vitally important interstate highway ... Transportation needs continue to grow and construction costs continue to escalate."

Mr. Rendell still prefers the turnpike lease plan, but if that doesn't get through the Legislature, Act 44 will be the only way the state has to raise transportation improvement funds.

It likely will take the Federal Highway Administration at least two or three months to decide whether to grant what is called a "phase one approval" for the I-80 tolls.

If the Turnpike Commission clears that hurdle, it then must submit a phase two application, with environmental data and studies on the economic impact that tolls would have on the I-80 region. The phase two application also would take another several months to be acted on.

Mr. Capone said the Turnpike Commission is hoping to have the new tolling areas erected "by late summer or early fall of 2010." If the feds approve, there would probably be 10 toll areas, every 30 or so miles along I-80 from New Jersey to Ohio.