It is a way to buy now and save in the long run, said Stephenson, a Draper Republican. "We're essentially looking at the ability for the state to save millions of dollars to buy corridor rights-of-way ahead of the market," he said.

But selling the land could get tricky, because it is illegal for states to profit from bond issues. Stephenson said he didn't want the state to get into the land speculation business, but did want to ensure it has enough land for roads.

The Utah Department of Transportation estimates the state will need to spend $1.3 billion in today's dollars for property through 2030. The west-side Mountain View Corridor alone will require $450 million in land purchases.

If the Legislature passes the bill, the bond debt would have to be exempted from the statutory debt limit, which has happened with other similar proposals, Stephenson said. But because the state stands to save so much through early land purchases, the proposal would mean more highway miles could be built for less money.

Representatives from the Wasatch Front Regional Council and Mountainland Association of Governments enthusiastically endorsed the measure because it would allow them to plan for a 40 to 50-year period instead of the current 30 years.

Revenues from the bond issues could be used to augment the estimated $12 million the new Proposition 3 sales-tax increase will generate for Mountain View corridor land buys.