Starting Monday, drivers on the Central 70 corridor will see different toll prices depending on how busy the road is as the Colorado Department of Transportation rolls out “dynamic tolling.”
Dynamic tolling — or real-time pricing — begins Monday for the 10 miles of Express Lanes on Interstate 70 that run from Interstate 25 to Chambers Road.
CDOT officials hope the change will help better manage demand and traffic during peak hours to keep a minimum speed of 45 mph in Central 70 Express Lanes, according to a Friday news release from the department.
“Dynamic tolling is one of the best tools available for keeping traffic moving,” stated Piper Darlington, director of the Colorado Transportation Investment Office, in Friday’s release.
The Colorado Transportation Investment Office is the division of CDOT that owns and operates Colorado Express Lanes.
“The Central 70 Express Lanes see large numbers of vehicles each day, and by adjusting the tolls a little bit upward or a little bit downward based on real-time traffic conditions, we aim to help keep the entire Central 70 corridor as congestion-free as possible,” Darlington stated.
Toll prices were previously set by historical traffic data for the time of day and location, the release stated. Now they’ll adjust continuously according to real-time traffic conditions.
Dynamic toll prices will be similar to the time-of-day pricing drivers are used to seeing on the interstate, ranging from $1.50 to $5.50, transportation officials stated in Friday’s release. The only difference is the toll rates will change throughout the day to respond to changing traffic conditions, so tolls may be higher or lower than drivers have been accustomed to at certain times.
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Rates will be updated every 5 to 15 minutes, but the price displayed when drivers enter the Express Lane is the price drivers will pay if they have an ExpressToll pass, even if the toll changes while the driver is traveling in the lanes, the release stated.
License plate fees will continue to apply for drivers who do not have an ExpressToll pass.
Central 70 is the first corridor where dynamic tolling is being implemented, but transportation officials plan to roll out the technology on all of Colorado’s Express Lanes eventually, according to Friday’s release.
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