Henry County

Drivers: You could pay more to use express lanes starting today

Express lanes could start costing drivers more starting Monday. 

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — The express lanes that could get you to work and home faster will be costing you more starting today.

Some people could pay up to $16 starting Monday. That is the most any driver will pay to use the new lanes.

Officials said they do not think that will be the average price.

It will only be for drivers who use the entire stretch of the new Interstate 85 Express Lanes during rush hour.

Officials predict that people will use lanes for a shorter amount of time, which will cost less than $16.

Drivers could pay between $3 to $4 on the South Metro Express Lanes on I-75. They run through Henry and Clayton counties.

The south metro express lanes cover 12 miles and are reversible, heading north in the morning and south in the afternoon.

Thousands of drivers use it every day and state officials say it has eased traffic congestion since it opened a little over a year ago.

Express lane traffic moves about 10 to 15 miles per hour faster than regular lanes in the morning, and 20 miles per hour faster in the afternoon.

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Channel 2 Action News spoke to one driver who said he paid $4 to use the lanes during peak hours in Henry County, and even that is not worth it to him.

“We moved here from Illinois two years ago, and the tollway system there got really expensive. They doubled tolls in five years,” driver Chris Rutten said.