Dynamic tolling to start for express lanes on portions of I-70, I-25

On November 26, 2024By Littum

Tolls charged for use of express lanes on Interstate 70 west of Denver and Interstate 25 between Castle Rock and Monument will change Monday to a dynamic system based on real-time traffic conditions.

The Colorado Department of Transportation announced Friday that the new fares will go into effect Monday, Nov. 25. The two motorway sections affected are:

A 12-mile westbound stretch of I-70 from the Veterans Memorial Tunnels east of Idaho Springs to the US Highway 40 exit at Empire.
Both directions of an 18-mile stretch of I-25 between Castle Rock and Monument.

The charges apply only to vehicles using the designated express lanes in the areas that drivers can only legally enter or exit at access points marked with dashed lines, the press release said. No tolls are charged in normal lanes along these motorway sections.

Tolls on both lanes will match the pricing that has been in place at the time, from $1.50 to as much as $9 on the I-70 Mountain Express Lane and from $1.50 to $4.75 for the I-25 South Gap Express Lane, CDOT said. The prices will be updated every 5-15. minute, with prices displayed on electronic signs overhead. Tolls are based on the prevailing rate when vehicles enter the express lanes, although rates change while they are in those lanes. Number plate fees will continue for those without an ExpressToll card.

The I-25 South Gap Express Lanes will remain free for motorcyclists, commercial transit vehicles and vehicles with three or more passengers and a toggle HOV transponder, CDOT said in a news release. All motorists using the I-70 Mountain Express Lanes, including motorcyclists and drivers with three or more passengers, are charged.

The Mountain Express and South Gap express lanes are along two of the most heavily traveled corridors in the state, CDOT said in an earlier news release. Continuous adjustment of tolls based on real-time traffic conditions rather than just time of day is designed to reduce rush hour congestion.

Dynamic tolling was introduced earlier this year on the Central 70 Express Lanes, a 10-mile stretch through Denver, and will eventually be implemented on all express lanes in the state, according to CDOT.

Coloradoan reporter Kelly Lyell can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on x.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news