Ahead of the snow, toll for Express Lanes in Virginia rises over $30 during evening rush hour

WASHINGTON - We all know traffic in the D.C. region can be a trying experience with long commutes and delays, especially with precipitation falling in the area. But as the first snowfall arrived in the D.C. region Thursday evening, commuters driving during the evening rush hour in Northern Virginia found using the Express Lanes would be very costly.

A FOX 5 staff member driving on Interstate 495 found a sign showing the toll for the Express Lanes starting from nearby the Tysons Corner area to the I-395/95 exit would cost a whopping $30! Using the lanes to I-66 would be just shy of $10.

Another commuter also found similar pricing for the Express Lanes:

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the Express Lanes website showed an expected 36-minute trip from the 495 Express Lanes starting nearby Tysons Corner all the way to I-95 near Garrisonville Road/Route 610 in Stafford costing over $45.

A spokesperson for Transurban, the company that manages the Express Lanes, said from around 4:30 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. Thursday, two salt and plow trucks were working on the southbound Express Lanes on I-495 and I-95, causing traffic to slow and increasing the toll on those lanes. The company said there is no cap on the toll and the prices will fluctuate based on the real-time traffic demand.

Transurban said customers who are concerned with the price they were charged can call its customer service number at 855-495-9777.

According to the Express Lanes website, here is how the toll rate is determined:

How does their dynamic pricing work?