SALT LAKE CITY -- Salt Lake County motorists could be paying $10 more to register their vehicles under a plan to buy land for the Mountain View Corridor.

The route runs along the county's west side, from Salt Lake City to Bluffdale. It is expected to be built within 10 years and would be a toll road.

The increased fee, which could take effect July 1, would generate about $200 million over 20 years to cover the road's land costs. The construction tab would be separate and likely paid through tolls.

Earlier this month, the county's Council of Governments adopted a resolution supporting the move. A public hearing on the plan is set for Tuesday next week. Final action is due by April 1.

Mayor Peter Corroon said it's time to increase the fees before land prices rise.

"Our forefathers never bothered to preserve any route," Corroon said. "It's something we have to do now to save a lot of pain and money in the future."

State lawmakers recently passed a measure allowing the Utah Department of Transportation to charge a toll along the corridor.

During the 2005 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill by Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, to allow a locally imposed registration fee of up to $10 per vehicle, to purchase land for future highways.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D2.