The Colorado General Assembly has approved two efforts that would either halt or hinder a proposed 210-mile private toll road on the plains of the Front Range. The measures have been forwarded to Gov. Bill Owens.

One bill would effectively kill the project – dubbed the “Super Slab.” The other would allow developer Ray Wells to continue his toll road plans but under much stricter rules.

Wells told the Rocky Mountain News that HB1342 would allow him to continue planning for a high-speed bypass running north of Fort Collins to the south of Pueblo as an eastern alternative to Interstate 25.

Wells, president of the Front Range Toll Road Co, said the road would appeal to truckers who want to bypass the congested corridor that links Front Range communities.

Owens is expected to veto the other bill – SB230. It would bar private companies from forcing landowners to sell their land to make way for roads.

The governor has said he fears it could prevent future private road projects at a time when the state doesn’t have enough money to pay for transportation needs, The Associated Press reported.

Under HB1342, private tolling companies would be required to obtain approval from the Colorado Department of Transportation before moving forward with any plans. It also would narrow the width of the proposed corridor – currently an unusually wide 12 miles – and require approval from the commissioners in all seven counties where the road passes, among other things, the newspaper reported.

The cost of the proposed route is estimated at $2 billion.