Most drivers who want to use Interstate 25 express lanes between Monument and Castle Rock will be required to pay a toll starting Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced in a news release.
Opened in December 2021, the express lanes were a central feature of the $419 million project to improve the 18-mile South Gap stretch of I-25, which also included rebuilding bridges and interchanges, adding wildlife crossings, adding extra lanes on Monument Hill and widening the highway’s shoulders. Project construction wrapped up in November 2022.
The toll lanes will be open 24/7, with tolls ranging from 70 cents to $2 for vehicles with an ExpressToll pass. Prices will vary based on the time of day, and vehicles with four or more axles will pay a $25 surcharge.
As with other express lanes, drivers should not cross solid white lane lines and should only use entrances and exits designated with a dashed white line.
Express lanes are free to motorcyclists, commercial transit vehicles and drivers carpooling with three or more passengers and a switchable transponder provided by CDOT, which can be obtained through expresstoll.com.
The same transponders and toll stickers that work in other express lanes on I-25, Interstate 70 and elsewhere will also work in the new lanes, according to the agency.
Drivers in express lanes save between 20% and 50% on their trip time, said CDOT spokesperson Tim Hoover, and the reduced traffic also benefits drivers in “general purpose” highway lanes.
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