BOSTON - Gov. Deval Patrick says nervous drivers and expectant legislators won't have to wait much longer to see his plan for financing the state's troubled highway system.

"You will not have to read tea leaves after Friday," Patrick told a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast Wednesday. "I expect to make our proposal Friday."

Patrick's pre-announcement follows news leaks last week that the governor is considering a 27-cent increase to the state's 23 cents-per-gallon gas tax.

If the additional tax were passed, Massachusetts would have the highest gas tax in the nation. It is currently ranked 19th.

Talk of the gas tax came after months of debate over a proposed toll increase to help the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority's mounting debt. The authority is in need of $100 million for road and bridge maintenance. The proposed toll increases would raise the price coming west from Allston-Brighton into Boston from the current $1.25 to $2 and the Sumner and Ted Williams Tunnels from $3.50 to $7.

The authority has delayed a vote on the toll increases in anticipation of Patrick's transportation package.

On Wednesday, Rep. George Peterson Jr., R-Grafton, released a statement criticizing the governor for delays in the release of his transportation package.

"We were promised a transportation package 18 months ago," Peterson said.

Peterson also accused the governor of dismissing Republican transportation solutions.

State Rep. Betty Poirier, R-North Attleboro, agreed with Peterson, saying the government should look into consolidating Massachusetts transportation departments before "digging into taxpayer's pockets."

"(Republicans) have put forward initiative after initiative of ways to combine the MassHighway with the Turnpike Authority, and Democrats have thwarted any efforts," said Poirier, who opposes any increases to the gas or tolls.

"I don't think we should go to the taxpayers. There are many ways to streamline our government operations," Poirier said. "We need to go through the budget line-by-line and eliminate anything that's unnecessary."

State Rep. Bill Bowles, D-Attleboro, who was recently appointed to the Joint Committee on Transportation, said he was not entirely against an increased gas tax if it is less than the rumored 27 cent increase.

Bowles said the most likely solution would involve the consolidation of agencies, a toll increase and a small gas tax increase. "The answer is not to drive up MBTA fares and it's not to be the highest gas tax state in the country," Bowles said. "We're going to have to put our collective heads together and come up with some creative solutions."