Drivers who used some of the express lanes in northern Virginia Thursday were charged $30 by Transurban — the company managing those roads — reportedly due to changes in real-time traffic demand.
Commuters in the greater Washington, D.C., area were shocked when they saw signs indicating relatively expensive tolls on several well-traveled express lanes, including a Fox5 staff member.
Drivers using Interstate 495 Thursday evening had three options for exiting: those using the lanes exiting to I-66 were charged just under $10, and those exiting onto I-395/95 were charged $30.
Thursday is apparently not the only time the roads in question increased prices so dramatically.
@fox5dc also this… pic.twitter.com/XPBxQgmeMC
— mike b (@mjb32982) January 6, 2017
@fox5dc Not the highest I’ve seen. Was over $32 before Xmas. This is a daily occurrence on 495
— mike b (@mjb32982) January 6, 2017
A representative for Transurban, the company tasked with overseeing the official Express Lanes, told Fox5 that prices can be higher depending on real-time traffic demand and the fact that there is no ceiling on the toll.
Any customers who experienced difficulties with their trip yesterday evening should call our Customer Care team at 1-855-495-9777 (2/2)
— VA Express Lanes (@VAExpressLanes) January 6, 2017
“The Express Lanes use dynamic tolls to help manage the flow of traffic to get you to your destination on time,” the official Express Lanes website reads. “You will see signs in advance of Express Lanes entry points letting you know the current price to travel in the Lanes … As traffic increases, the toll price goes up to manage demand and keep traffic moving at highway speeds.”
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