The Senate has passed legislation allowing only the General Assembly to approve tolls on Interstate 81.

The bill passed Thursday is sponsored by senators along the I-81 corridor and is in response to the Virginia Department of Transportation's recommendation to widen the interstate and possibly place tolls on it.

Senator John Edwards said the legislation is needed so that the decision to place tolls on I-81 is not made by an unelected board. He and other legislators stressed that I-81 is used by many local commuters.

I-81 runs more than 320 miles in southwest Virginia and stretches from Alabama to New York.