Heads up: Drivers on these Colorado express lanes will soon pay 'dynamic tolling' prices

DENVER (KDVR) — Drivers of the Interstate 25 South Gap and parts of the Interstate 70 Mountain Express Lanes will have to contend with "dynamic tolling," where toll rates will change depending on traffic conditions throughout the day, starting Friday, Nov. 1.

Previously, toll rates would change depending on the time of day.

Now, the toll rates will change anywhere between every 5 minutes and every 15 minutes, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

However, drivers will only have to pay the price that was shown when they entered the express lane.

These prices could be higher or lower than what drivers are used to and can range from $1.50 to $4.75 on the South Gap and up to $9 on the Mountain Express Lanes.

The new pricing will be active for the entire 18-mile stretch of the South Gap between Monument and Castle Rock. The express lanes opened in 2021, while drivers began being tolled in January following a yearslong grace period.

The dynamic pricing will only impact the westbound portion of the Mountain Express Lanes between the Veterans Memorial Tunnels and Empire. The eastbound lanes were not mentioned in the announcement.

Piper Darlington, the director of the Colorado Transportation Investment Office, which is part of CDOT, said dynamic pricing will help keep the flow of traffic moving on these two busy roads.

"The South Gap and the Mountain Express Lanes are two of the most traveled corridors in the state, and we want to do everything we can to help keep express lane speeds reliable," she said. "By transitioning to dynamic tolling and adjusting the tolls based on real-time traffic conditions, we’ll be able to do just that."

This is not the first time that the state has implemented dynamic pricing for express lanes. In April, CDOT started dynamic pricing on the express lanes of the Central 70 corridor.

The state said it eventually intends for all express lanes in the state to use dynamic pricing. There are 10 in total currently, with eight fully open or open to testing and two under construction.