TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The completion of a project to reconfigure lanes on Memorial Highway near the Tampa International Airport could mean that dynamic, or variable, tolling will soon be implemented on the Veterans Expressway.
In late 2017, the express lanes on the Veterans Expressway opened with one lane northbound and one lane southbound between Gunn Highway and Memorial Highway.
Currently, the express lanes are tolled at the same rate as the general use lanes. In the future, the toll will increase or decrease in real-time based on traffic congestion. The toll rate will include the general toll, plus the variable express lane toll rate. Drivers will be able to see the price before entering the express lanes and can choose to pay the premium rate or use the general-purpose lanes. Drivers in the express lane won’t face any subsequent increase in the rate. If the toll rate decreases, drivers in the express lane will be charged at the lower rate.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, it was necessary to reconfigure lanes near the airport and ease the daily bottleneck there before implementing the dynamic toll. That project was completed in late December.
So when will dynamic tolling begin? Despite repeated attempts to get an answer from Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, a business unit of the Florida Department of Transportation, a timeline for implementation wasn’t provided. News Channel 8’s Meredyth Censullo will continue to request the information and hope to have an answer soon.
The Gateway Expressway project, under construction in Pinellas County, will also feature lanes with dynamic tolling.
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