Tollway to Open Early

A 56-mile tollway around the eastern and southern Austin metro area is expected to be open in April, although some of the highway will still be under construction. Officials had expected Texas 45 Southeast to begin operating in summer with all construction completed.

A flyover bridge connecting the highway to Interstate 35 will not be completed when the tollway opens, according to the Texas Department of Transportation, whose tollway division is building the project.

Tolls for the new bypass have not been set yet, according to Mark Tomlinson, director of TxDOT’s turnpike division. The tollway was financed with tax dollars rather than revenue bond debt and cash on hand.

TxDOT has three other Central Texas toll roads, with tolls at 11 cents per mile for people with toll tags. Texas 45 Southeast will only collect tolls through electronic toll tags, with no cash operations.

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Transportation industry
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