After nearly five years of construction, the first toll lanes on the 183 North project are set to open Friday morning, expanding Austin’s use of highway tolls that get more expensive as traffic gets worse.
Under the system, which is already in place on the MoPac Express Lanes, toll prices change every five minutes, rising during busy times until enough drivers opt out to keep traffic moving at least 45 miles an hour. When traffic eases, prices fall.
By directly linking U.S. 183 North to the MoPac Express Lanes, transportation officials expect more drivers to flow into MoPac’s toll lanes, which could push prices there even higher…