Updated 9:09 p m.
After three and a half years of construction, the 20-mile Monroe Expressway will open to traffic on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The Union County road is the first highway toll project in the Charlotte area.
North Carolina Turnpike Authority operates the toll road, which will take traffic off of the congested U.S. 74. The route will run from just east of Interstate 485 at the Mecklenburg County line, around the city of Monroe and back to U.S. 74 in eastern Union County.
It's the first toll road in the Charlotte area and the second in the state. Raleigh's Triangle Expressway opened in 2011.
Tolls will cost 14-15 cents per mile and be collected electronically using NC Quick Pass transponders from the turnpike authority. Drivers without the equipment are welcome to use the road, though they'll pay 35 percent more.
Two NC Quick Pass stores are now open, at 3034 Winston Ave., Monroe, and 8015 West W.T. Harris Blvd. Both are open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Another Charlotte area toll project, the I-77 Express Lanes from Charlotte to Mooresville, is expected to open by year's end. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is still in the process of planning toll lanes on other area highways, including I-485 in south Charlotte, U.S. 74/Independence Boulevard and I-77.
RELATED LINKS
More information about toll rates and toll roads on the N.C. Turnpike Authority website, https://www.ncquickpass.com/rates-facilities/Pages/monroe-expressway.aspx
NC Quick Pass toll website, with information about transponders, payment and plans, https://www.ncquickpass.com
This article has been updated to correct the per-mile toll rate. NCDOT says information on part of its website is inaccurate
