Tolling for I-25 express lanes between Fort Collins and Berthoud delayed again

Drivers who have taken advantage of using the express lanes from Fort Collins to Berthoud for free these past 10 months will be happy with this news.

Tolls will continue to be waived for those 19 miles of the North I-25 Express Lanes project until March, Jared Fiel, Colorado Department of Transportation's Northeast Region spokesperson, told the Coloradoan.

"This is a time when government red tape is working for the benefit of folks who use the lane for free now," Fiel said. "By next spring, everything should be ready to go so we can use that money to pay off the loan that made this all possible."

Tolling was first expected to start on the stretch in mid-summer but was pushed to the end of 2024 and now the spring of 2025.

Fiel said the most recent delay was due to scheduling when its contractor can install the toll equipment but that a time frame has been worked out.

The $900 million North I-25 Express Lanes Project opened its two general purpose lanes and one express lane in December 2023, six years after the project kicked off.

It took more than two years for tolling to begin on the 18 miles of the I-25 South Gap Express Lanes project from Castle Rock to Monument. Tolling on that stretch started Jan. 17, 2024. The $419 million project opened in November of 2022.

Despite no tolls, drivers crossing express lanes' double white lines can face fines

Included in the tolling installation will be anti-weaving technology , including software, cameras and roadway sensors that detect illegal crossing of double solid white lines.

Even though that equipment hasn't been installed yet, drivers can still be fined for crossing the double white lines of the North I-25 Express Lanes project.

Law enforcement has been patrolling the stretch and ticketing drivers. A ticket for the offense comes with a $75 fine  or double if you fail to pay the fine within 20 days, according to previous Coloradoan reporting.

Here's what the I-25 striping means:

• Double solid lines: Must stay in lane.
• Double dashed lines: Traffic can move in and out of the lane.
• One dashed, one solid line: If the dashed line is closer to your lane, you are able to make a lane change. If the solid line is closer to your lane, you are prohibited from making a lane change.

I-25 mobility hubs scheduled to open in October

Fiel said three mobility hubs for public bus transportation will be open along Interstate 25 by mid-October.

Those include the hubs along I-25 at Loveland, Berthoud and Firestone/Longmont.

On Oct. 7, the Park N Ride lot currently located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 34 and I-25 will move to the Centerra lot, north of the existing lot.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Tolling for I-25 express lanes between Fort Collins and Berthoud delayed again