Colorado’s I-70 toll road has been receiving steady use since its opening on December 12th. CDOT has reported the 13 mile express lane was used by 400 cars on Saturday December 26th and 800 cars on Sunday December 27th. The express lane that was created to ease east bound traffic from Empire exit to the Veterans Memorial tunnels boasts the country’s most expensive highway tolls with varying rates according to traffic (think UBER surge pricing). Drivers can expect to pay anywhere between $3 to $30 depending on traffic volume. The most expensive tollroad in the country does come with some guarantees. CDOT wants to maintain a volume of 750-900 vehicles per hour with a guaranteed speed of 45mph that would equate to around 30 minutes saved on driving time according to this Vail Daily article. It’s notable that lane isn’t always open as federal regulations only allow for 72 operational days a year, so it will only be used during peak travel times.
Has anyone had a chance to give this puppy a spin? Let us know.
Here’s a little piece done by Denver News 7 about the opening: