Commuters get taste of toll lanes during evening rush hour

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Drivers got their first taste of what it’s like to commute during the evening rush hour in toll lanes after a stretch of them opened on Interstate 77.

The lanes official opened over the weekend.

I-77 Mobility Partners, the public-private company managing the toll lanes, made the announcement on Friday, just a day before a section of the express lanes was opened to the public.

Officials said the northern section of the lanes from Hambright Road to Exit 36 in Mooresville opened Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

Past coverage: 

• Report: Nearly 200 more problems found in I-77 toll lane construction zones
• NCDOT responds to safety concerns in I-77 toll lane construction areas
• Local lawmakers unveil new bill to give drivers relief from I-77 toll lanes
• A look at how much drivers on I-77 can expect to pay in toll rates
• Just how expensive will I-77 tolls be?

They said drivers will have the option of using the express lanes or the general-purpose lanes.

Officials said there are the same number of free, general-purpose lanes, and there will be signs a quarter mile ahead of each segment of the toll lanes that show the rate drivers will pay.

They said rates will be set for every 30-minute period of each day for the first 180 days, so drivers can get used to the lanes.

Officials said it will shift to dynamic pricing, changing as often as every five minutes, after the first 180 days. They said the price will depend on the segment length, time of day and demand for the express lanes.

You can learn more about the rates here.

Drivers can get a NC Quick Pass to pay for the tolls. If you don’t have one, a camera will take a picture of your license plate and you’ll be sent a bill.

“We are excited for drivers to start using this section of the express lanes, as we offer a new transportation choice along the I-77 corridor,” I-77 Mobility Partners CEO Javier Tamargo said in a statement. “The private investment in I-77 Express has been instrumental to deliver this project and other infrastructure improvements along the existing portion of I-77 sooner for the State of North Carolina and motorists.”

Channel 9 was one of the first to experience driving on the toll lanes, just minutes after it opened.

We drove the whole stretch of the roadway and it took about 10 to 12 minutes with fares for each segment clearly displaying the transponder toll rate, which would have been $2.55.

We did not have a transponder so cameras along the roadway took a picture of our vehicle's tag and we will get a bill in the mail, which will cost more than $2.55.

I-77 Mobility Partners said customers will receive a promotional rate off toll rates until the full opening of the I-77 Express.

Channel 9 has been investigating complaints about the express lanes project and the construction zone for years.

We have reported about debris and rough roads in the construction zone.

Friday, a Huntersville Fire spokesperson tweeted about the road, and asked why there is a rush to open now.

But some business owners said they have struggled with all the construction in the area.

"I lost all my Mooresville business," business owner Joel Pfyffer said. "Who's going to come home in traffic to come back into traffic to come get pizza on a Friday night?"

I-77 Mobility Partners said the toll lanes will help cut down on traffic.

Officials said the southern stretch of the toll lanes should be done around September.

Cox Media Group