NORFOLK, Va. — If you're a driver that likes to skip the traffic and take the express lanes you'll soon see some tolls between Chesapeake and Norfolk on I-64.
Drivers have taken note of what driving on that stretch has been like the past month.
"It's been a whole lot better since they put in the extra lane," said Wayne Kennedy of Chesapeake.
Kennedy is talking about the express lane. That's the part of the road where drivers need an E-ZPass.
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"Express lanes are designed to help manage congestion and to alleviate congestion at the key locations on I-64 and our interstate network," explained Nina Ullrich, senior communications specialist with VDOT Hampton Roads.
Drivers got used to the new express lanes with a free trial period. Tolls kick in on March 17.
Drivers will see tolls in the express lanes from the Bowers Hill interchange to the I-264 interchange on I-64 between Chesapeake and Norfolk.
Watch animation detailing traffic patterns on the express lanes:
Toll prices are based on current traffic conditions. They'll get more expensive as the lanes fill up and less expensive as traffic dies down. They automatically adjust every five minutes and VDOT reports that revenue remains local.
"But the entrances and exits will not change," added Ullrich. "Those have been the same since we've finished the express lane construction."
There will also be new hours for the Norfolk reversible express lanes between the I-264 and I-564 interchanges.
"Now motorists have the option to use the Norfolk reversible express 24 hours a day if they're traveling the direction the Norfolk reversible express lanes are open," said Ullrich.
Solo drivers will be using their E-ZPass to pay the tolls, but if you travel with another person and switch on HOV on your E-ZPass Flex, it's free.
And if you're not planning to use the express lanes...
"I'm not in a hurry anywhere I go," said Kennedy.
...there is still the option for motorists to use the free general-purpose lanes in those segments.
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