I-77 toll lane revenue topped $35 million last year, more than double 2020 total
Interstate 77 toll lanes raked in $11.5 million in toll revenue in the fourth quarter of last year, according to I-77 Mobility Partners.
That’s way up from the revenue generated by the toll lanes in the same time period in 2020, when many people were still working from home amid COVID concerns. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the toll lanes generated $4.8 million, according to I-77 Mobility Partners data.
In total, the toll lanes brought in more than $35 million in revenue in 2021 — a 113% increase from the prior year. In 2020, the toll lanes brought in almost $16.4 million in revenue, according to I-77 Mobility Partners data.
“I-77 Mobility Partners has seen a steady uptick in the number of drivers choosing to use I-77 Express as employees returned to their offices and the economy started to recover,” I-77 Mobility Partners CEO Jose Espinosa said in a statement. “I also think our transactions have grown because more drivers are viewing our express lanes as what they were designed for: a safe and reliable travel option.”
Almost 3 million vehicles have used the lanes since they fully opened in November 2019, Espinosa said. And some 300,000 drivers use the express lanes every month.
Price hikes on I-77 toll lanes
Prices have jumped at the I-77 toll lanes since the 26-mile project began a gradual opening in 2018.
Under the initial pricing scheme — which was discounted for the first six months — driving round-trip from Mooresville to uptown during the weekday rush hour would cost $13.10, the Observer reported in 2018.
Under current pricing, that trip during weekday rush hours would be almost double that amount, according to the I-77 Mobility Partners Plan Your Trip online tool.
And the toll lanes use dynamic pricing, meaning toll rates change based on traffic volume and time of day. Tolls increase with heavier traffic and during peak travel times.
Prices are set by I-77 Mobility Partners, a subsidiary of Spanish infrastructure firm Cintra, in a public-private partnership with the NC Department of Transportation.
I-77 Mobility Partners has not released any details on how much revenue the toll lanes were projected to generate.
Drivers can use the toll lanes with an NC Quick Pass, SunPass, Peach Pass or E-Z Pass transponder. Or NC Quick Pass will mail a bill to the vehicle’s registered owner after capturing an image of the car’s license plate.
But customers without the transponder passes will pay higher rates.
Meanwhile, a toll lane project on Interstate 485 between I-77 and U.S. 74 has been experiencing continuing delays after three years of construction.
The $346-million I-485 project will add one toll express lane in each direction and is scheduled to be completed by the winter of 2024. The project was originally expected to open this year.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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