Tolling begins April 7 on I-25 Express Lanes between Berthoud and Fort Collins

Travel Advisory

March 31, 2026 - Northeaster Colorado - Warning period for weaving violations also starts the same day

Larimer and Weld counties — Tolling on the 14-mile I-25 Express Lanes between Berthoud and Fort Collins starts April 7, and drivers who weave over the solid lines of these Express Lanes will also start receiving warnings for violating Express Lane rules — with fines starting a month later.

Drivers who have an ExpressToll pass can expect to pay between $1 to $4.75 per Express Lane segment, depending on the segment, direction and time of day. For example, a driver using all three segments — northbound or southbound — from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., when toll rates are lowest, would pay a minimum of $3 for the whole trip, while a driver using all three segments from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and traveling northbound would see the highest trip price at $12.20. Drivers without an ExpressToll pass would pay more.

Overhead signs will display the current toll price. The price shown when entering the Express Lanes is the price ExpressToll account holders will pay.

Also beginning April 7, drivers on this corridor will receive a warning for entering or exiting the Express Lanes outside designated areas, a violation of Express Lanes rules. Enforcement will begin with a 30-day grace period, during which warnings will be mailed to the vehicle's registered address. Starting May 7, 2026, the warning period will end, and violators will receive fines known as “civil penalties” if they are weaving over solid lines.

“Express Lanes aren’t just about saving time for the drivers who choose to use them,” said Tim Hoover, deputy director of communications for the Colorado Department of Transportation. “They’re designed to help manage congestion across the entire corridor. When traffic moves safely in and out of the Express Lanes, it reduces pressure on the regular, untolled lanes, which benefits all drivers — whether they pay a toll or not.”

Drivers who don’t have an ExpressToll pass can still use the Express Lanes but will pay a higher toll rate. In those cases, a bill will be mailed to the registered vehicle owner using license plate billing. ExpressToll account holders pay an average of 40% less compared to drivers who use license plate billing. Drivers can visit expresstoll.com to open an account, order a sticker pass or get a switchable HOV3+ transponder. The switchable HOV3+ transponder functions as a regular ExpressToll pass when not set to HOV3+ mode.

The same ExpressToll passes — including sticker passes and switchable HOV3+ transponders — used on Express Lanes along US 36, I-25, C-470 and I-70, as well as E-470 and the Northwest Parkway, will also work on the I-25 North Express Lanes.

The Express Lanes are free to motorcyclists, commercial transit vehicles and cars with three or more passengers that are using a switchable HOV3+ transponder. For a quick refresher on how to enter and exit the Express Lanes legally, check out the Express Lanes Safety and Toll Enforcement Program diagrams and video here.

As a reminder, if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights and siren is behind you while you are in the Express Lane, you are legally allowed to cross over solid lines to your right to exit the lane when it is safe to do so. However, you cannot then re-enter the Express Lane over the solid lines. You must wait until the next designated entrance.

At a Glance — I-25 Express Lanes from Berthoud to Fort Collins:

Tolling and warnings for entering and exiting the Express Lanes outside of designated areas (weaving) begin April 7.
Fines for weaving begin May 7.
Drivers may only enter and exit the Express Lanes at designated spots marked by a dashed line. Crossing the solid line is unsafe and illegal and will result in a fine.
Overhead signs will display current toll prices. ExpressToll account holders (those with a sticker pass) pay the posted price shown.
Drivers without an ExpressToll sticker will be charged using license plate billing.
Vehicles carrying three or more passengers, including commercial transit vehicles, can use the lanes for free with a switchable HOV3+ transponder.
Motorcycles can use the lanes for free.
Vehicles with four or more axles or longer than 25 feet may use the Express Lanes but will be charged a $25 surcharge per segment.
All posted speed limits and standard traffic laws apply in the Express Lanes.

Civil penalties for Express Lane violations were first introduced in 2023 on the I-70 Mountain Express Lanes and are now live on all of Colorado’s actively tolled Express Lanes. Roadside cameras and sensors detect when a vehicle crosses the solid line. A civil penalty is then mailed directly to the registered address for that vehicle. The fine for crossing the solid line is $75 and increases to $150 if it's not paid within 20 days.

“This technology has already reduced violations by over 94% in the corridors where we’ve deployed it,” Hoover said. “This translates to fewer crashes and safer trips for everyone.”

To sign up for an ExpressToll account, pay a license plate toll or order a switchable HOV3+ transponder, visit expresstoll.com. To learn more about Colorado’s Express Lanes, visit expresslanes.codot.gov.

I-25 North between Mead and Fort Collins Changes as of Spring 2026 map showing the Express Lane segments of I-25 between Berthoud and Fort Collins that will open for tolling on April 7. As tolling begins, so will the warning period for automated camera enforcement of weaving over the double white lines of the Express Lanes. Drivers who weave over the double white lines will receive a warning until May 7, at which time they will get a $75 fine. The graphic also shows that automated speed camera enforcement will start April 2 in the construction zone on I-25 between Mead and Berthoud.”