After years of construction and months of free fare, the new express lane on I-70 will start charging drivers on Tuesday. The lane runs along a 10-mile stretch of I-70 from Brighton Boulevard to Chambers Road.
Testing on the lane began in June of 2022. The lane was supposed to start charging drivers in February, but got delayed due to software issues. Now, the toll system is all set and will turn on at 12 a.m. July 11.
Tolls are free for motorcyclists and buses, along with high occupancy vehicles (HOV) with at least three people.
To use the lane as an HOV, drivers need to create an ExpressToll account and get a specific transponder.
For everyone else, rates will depend on the time of day, traffic direction and whether or not a driver has a transponder or is getting tolled by their license plate. Tolling by plate costs more because of back-office costs. Here's what to expect:
- From 6 a.m. to 8:59 a.m.: $4.50 for drivers with transponders, $10.08 for eastbound drivers tolled by plate and $9.01 for westbound drivers tolled by plate
- From 9 a.m. to 1:59 p.m.: $2.50 for drivers with transponders, $6.91 for eastbound drivers tolled by plate and $5.84 for westbound drivers tolled by plate
- From 2 p.m. to 3:59 p.m.: $3.25 for drivers with transponders, $8.10 for eastbound drivers tolled by plate and $7.03 for westbound drivers tolled by plate
- From 4 p.m. to 6:59 p.m.: $2.50 for drivers with transponders, $6.91 for eastbound drivers tolled by plate and $5.84 for westbound drivers tolled by plate
- From 7 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.: $1.50 for drivers with transponders, $5.33 for eastbound drivers tolled by plate and $4.26 for westbound drivers tolled by plate
Community members in Globeville and Elyria-Swansea can get subsidized express lane passes.
The Central 70 lane is part of the controversial highway expansion project in Elyria-Swansea that began construction in 2018. Many community members opposed expanding the highway, which ran through the neighborhood. As the project got approved, activists and community members secured a number of promises from the state, including a new park above an old section of the highway, a health study and subsidized toll passes.
Residents can receive both a toll credit and a free transit pass, available at distribution sites in the neighborhood run through Northeast Transportation Connections. Residents can find information about picking up passes here, and check this map to see the neighborhood boundaries.
Here's who is eligible:
- Globeville and Elyria-Swansea residents with an income below 200% of the federal poverty level. In 2022, that looked like an income of $55,500 for a family of four.
- Households displaced from the neighborhood due to construction on I-70, with an annual income below 200% of the federal poverty level.
While highway expansions can often increase traffic by driving up demand, state officials hope the express lane will improve congestion.
"Instead of simply adding more capacity, departments of transportation are moving toward managing the capacity," said Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson Timothy Hoover. "A great way to do this is by adding a tolled lane, with the toll price going up as congestion increases. The result is a lane that has traffic that doesn't come to a standstill. Traffic continues to move as some people who are willing to pay the toll jump out of the regular lanes and into the tolled lane. This has a secondary effect of actually relieving traffic congestion for the whole roadway, not just in the tolled lane."
Hoover estimates that drivers in the express lane will save 20% to 50% of travel time over drivers in the regular lanes.
