HARRISBURG -- There hasn't been much talk at the Capitol lately about trying to put tolls on Interstate 80, but the idea isn't dead, state transportation officials said yesterday.

This fall, Congress has to act on renewing the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, and there could be talk at that time about modifying it so that tolls can be placed on additional federally funded highways that currently are free, state Transportation Secretary Al Biehler told a House committee.

Federal law now allows only three "pilot projects" for tolling highways, and two other states already have proposals submitted. Pennsylvania was hoping to be the third, but its application hasn't been approved by the feds.

The new version of the transportation act could let more states seek new tolls, Mr. Biehler said.

Act 44, approved by the Legislature in July 2007, called for higher tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and first-time tolls on I-80. But residents and legislators from the I-80 corridor, which runs across Northern Pennsylvania from Ohio to New Jersey, strongly protested and federal transportation officials didn't allow the tolls.

However, Turnpike Commission spokesman Bill Capone said yesterday that the feds never formally rejected Pennsylvania's application. Rather, they raised questions about the mechanics of how the turnpike would make payments to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation under Act 44.

In 2008, the turnpike paid PennDOT $750 million to use on roads, bridges and mass transit. In 2009, PennDOT will get $850 million, and in 2010, it will get $900 million.

But unless something is done to raise additional revenue -- such as putting tolls on I-80, allowing private firms to toll and operate highways or raising the state's gasoline tax -- those payments will be cut by about one-half starting in 2011. That would sharply decrease PennDOT's ability to make transportation improvements.

The Legislature has until July 1, 2010, to come up with an alternative method to finance the road, bridge and mass transit work, or the payments to PennDOT will drop to $450 million a year. That funding comes from the turnpike toll hikes that took effect Jan. 4.

As to whether the turnpike will resubmit its I-80 toll application to the federal Transportation Department, Mr. Capone couldn't say. He said it "isn't a top priority for us" but didn't rule it out.

Officials from the I-80 area didn't take long to respond to the tolling threat.

Rep. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe, whose constituents don't want the I-80 tolls, is mostly bald, but he quipped yesterday, "Every time we talk about tolling I-80 I lose a little more of the hair that's left."

In fact, U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard, has already introduced a bill in Congress called the Keeping America's Freeways Free Act. It would prohibit the tolling of federal highways, including I-80, said Thompson aide Patrick Creighton.

"I-80 is an economic engine," he said. "Tolling it would hurt small businesses by imposing higher transportation costs. It would devastate local economies, not only for the 5th Congressional District but for the whole state."