DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — If you travel the I-25 gap between Monument and Castle Rock be aware that starting on Wednesday you will be charged for the express toll lane. This has been free for years for testing.
After years of construction, the toll for the I-25 gap is back on for the thousands of cars driving through the area. It's between two sections, Monument to Larkspur, and Larkspur to Castle Rock.
The Colorado Department of Transportation says the tolls here will be some of the lowest priced in the state and aren't meant to be a money maker but go right back into road maintenance. The easiest thing CDOT recommends is to buy a transponder, or toll pass, for your front windshield.
CDOT says that the license plate toll goes towards paying people to verify each plate that goes through.
Drivers have had good things to say about the multi-million dollar improvements on the 13-mile stretch of I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock commonly referred to as “The Gap”.
“It's a good thing to have those extra lanes because it does get pretty congested going up through there,” said Bryan, a driver who lives near The Gap.
Since the project’s completion, there has been a bonus for drivers.
The express lane toll has been free for close to a year while testing of tweaking of the automated system happened.
Bryan said, “I've certainly been taking advantage of it, you know, the freeness of it. Now. With the addition of some funding, I probably will not use the tollway there.”
CDOT leadership knows some will not use the toll lanes because of the cost.
“This is a way that not just us, Colorado, but many states are using to manage the capacity on roadways,” said CDOT’s Tim Hoover.
CDOT planners say there is traffic science showing this type of toll system maintains a more consistent traffic flow.
The testing phase of the system is now complete.
“You're going to pay like under $4 to run the whole length of the thing, it's a very good deal,” said Hoover, “These are the lowest toll rates in Colorado, and among the lowest toll rates per mile in the entire country.”
The rate will be higher during the day and lower overnight.
If something like a crash blocks the other lanes, tolls can be waved to keep traffic moving.
Tolls lane users can save some money by knowing there are two ways to pay.
The more expensive option is tracking lane users by license plate.
Hoover said, “We have to have humans verify it so it's more expensive.”
The way to save is by ordering a transponder through Expresstoll.com that automatically deducts the payment from a driver’s account.
“If you have the switchable transponder, you can pay the toll rate if you're driving, say by yourself, and you'll save on average about 40% off the license plate toll,” said Hoover.
The switchable part of the device refers to its two modes.
Toll mode pays tolls.
Drivers can switch to HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) mode when they have three or more people in the car.
“Use the HOV function on the switchable transponder and everybody can ride for free.”
The year of testing also revealed a speed issue in the Express Lanes.
Hoover said, “These are Express Lanes, they are not Autobahn lanes, you still have to obey the speed limit. And, again, please don't cross the white lines, it's very dangerous.”
A future addition to the system will identify and cite drivers who illegally cross over the double white lines that separate toll lanes from regular lanes.
For now, the only expense is deciding to use the lanes for a quicker and smoother flow of traffic.
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