Single-occupant vehicles probably will pay $3.25 during the rush-hour peak to buy their way onto reversible high-occupancy- vehicle lanes on Interstate 25 north of downtown Denver, state tolling officials said Thursday.
The Colorado Tolling Enterprise’s first toll project is the 7-mile HOT-lane operation on I-25 from the area near Coors Field to a point just north of the highway’s junction with U.S. 36. It is due to open in early June.
HOT stands for high-occupancy toll, which allow solo drivers to take advantage of congestion- free HOV lanes usually reserved for carpoolers and buses. All tolling will be done electronically with transponders.
The HOT-lane operation also includes about 1 mile of HOV lanes on U.S. 36 from I-25 to Pecos Street.
Off-peak tolls for using the HOT lanes will start as low as 50 cents from 5 to 6 a.m. for southbound traffic. The price will escalate to a peak of $3.25 for the 7:15 to 8:15 a.m. slot, tolling officials said.
For northbound use of the HOT lanes, the toll will be 50 cents from noon to 3 p.m. and rise to $3.25 for the heart of the rush hour – 4:30 to 6 p.m.
After 7 p.m., the northbound HOT-lane fee reverts to 50 cents, according to the toll schedule. The authority will vote on the fees Thursday.
The variable tolls are aimed at keeping traffic flowing in the HOT/HOV lanes. Vehicles with more than one occupant will be able to use the lanes at no charge.
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-820-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
