COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohioans could soon be driving faster on interstates. And they'll be paying higher tolls on the Ohio Turnpike, to finance sorely needed road projects mostly in northern Ohio.

The Ohio Senate voted 27-6 to approve a two-year, $7.6 billion transportation budget bill Wednesday that lifts the speed limit to 70 mph from 65 mph on rural stretches of interstate.

The omnibus bill allows Gov. John Kasich to move ahead with plans to issue up to $1.5 billion in bonds through the Ohio Turnpike, closing the growing gap between Ohio's road-project wish list and available gas-tax money.

The bond issue would quadruple the turnpike's debt, which some say is a potentially risky move.

The House passed a version of the bill last week. A House-Senate conference committee will hammer out differences and send a final bill to Kasich for his review and signature.

"This is a jobs bill, perhaps the largest you'll have the opportunity to vote for in this General Assembly," said Sen. Gayle Manning, a Republican from North Ridgeville, who chairs the Senate's Transportation Committee.

Increasing the speed limit on rural stretches of routes like I-77, I-90 and I-71 "will allow commerce to move more quickly through our state while keeping urban highways safe," Manning said.

Speed limits would be set at 65 mph on interstate "outerbelts" in urban areas and 55 mph on interstates within congested cities, with the Ohio Department of Transportation director having final say. Top speeds would rise to 60 mph from 55 mph on the state's two-lane highways outside of cities.

Public safety officials did not speak against the higher speeds. The Ohio Environmental Council opposed faster travel, saying it will result in more tailpipe pollution.

The House and Senate bills allow the turnpike commission, for the first time in its 57-year history, to pay for road projects beyond the 241-mile toll road.

Kasich has said 90 percent of the $1.5 billion in bonds would be spent in northern Ohio. The Senate bill seeks to put that promise into law, requiring that 90 percent of bond proceeds be spent within 75 miles of the turnpike.

The provision shows regional greed and self interest when the needs of the entire state should be uppermost, argued Sen. John Eklund, a Republican from Munson Township. He still voted for the bill.

The turnpike would freeze tolls for 10 years on trips of 30 miles or less for users of E-ZPass, under the bill. The provision was also a promise under Kasich's plan.

But the administration has misgiving about putting the 90 percent requirement and a toll freeze into law. They could be seen as restrictions and "legislative interference" that adversely affect bond rates, officials said.

The governor can use a line-item veto to remove provisions he doesn't want because it's a budget bill.

"We're watching (the process) very closely," said Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols.

Kasich believes the $1.5 billion in bonds will leverage a matching amount of local and federal money, creating tens of thousands of turnpike jobs.

Tolls would increase for each of the next 10 years. Kasich and the turnpike commission intend that tolls increase at no more than the rate of inflation, which has been about 2.7 percent in recent years.

An amendment to formally cap the toll rates at the inflation rate was tabled.

If tolls rise beyond the rate of inflation, residents who are E-ZPass users would be able to write off the difference on their state income tax for the next 10 years, as part of a measure added to the bill this week by Sen. Randy Gardner, a Republican from Bowling Green.

Other provisions of the bill would:

- Allow license plates to be made of material besides steel.

- Allow ODOT to set up a noise-mitigation program that helps cities deal with traffic noise from the Ohio Turnpike.

- Set aside $14 million for Cleveland Lakefront Parks. It's part of a deal under which control of the parks would revert to the city, which has been unhappy with the state's upkeep.

Noticeably absent from the bill was more money for transit, despite a plea from supporters of transit, cycling and other transportation alternatives. They believe the budget focuses too much on highways.