PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Driving around Hampton Roads is a bit pricier this year. Toll rates for several bridges and tunnels have gone up, including the Downtown and Midtown tunnels.
The increased tolls went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, with rates dependent on what kind of vehicles people drive and the time of day.
If you are a driver of a 2-axle vehicle with an E-ZPass, Elizabeth River Crossings officials said you’ll save 60% during peak hours and 67% during nonpeak hours
During peak hours, E-ZPass holders will now pay $3.06, up from $2.77 in 2023. But drivers without an E-ZPass face a $7.57 toll, up from $6.95. During those same hours, heavy vehicles, including cars with trailers, will pay up to $12.24 with an E-ZPass and $16.75 without one.
There are different rates for nonpeak hours.
“Saves you a little bit, every little bit helps out," said Portsmouth resident Bob Luckhurst.
As a new resident of Portsmouth, Luckhurst said he’s thankful for his E-ZPass.
"We never realized how many tunnels there were and you know it’s pretty expensive when you have to go back and forth," he explained.
According to the Elizabeth River Crossings website, the tolls help pay for the continued finance, operations, and maintenance of the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels, the MLK Expressway, and approximately 51 lane miles of roadway.
Spokeswoman Carley Brierre said ERC contributed 3.3 million dollars to toll relief in 2023 and plans to do 3.5% more this year. She said the company also increased the income cap for toll relief from $50k to $65k and increased the weekly discounted trip max from 10 to 14.
“It’s very crazy to be a resident in Portsmouth nowadays," said Derrick Williams, a Portsmouth resident.
Williams told 13News Now he hopes the toll relief program expands even more in the future to ease his commute home.
“All circumstances fall for different people," Williams said. "So, what are we going to do for the masses? When you are doing it peak hours, fresh off of work I am trying to go straight home. I have to think, do I want to pay the $7 or do I go the extra 15 minutes out of the way for the free."
Brierre said enrolling in toll relief only takes a few minutes and it can be done at either of ERC's E-ZPass Service Centers in Portsmouth or Norfolk or the DriveERT Customer Care Center at 309 County St. in Portsmouth. Learn more here.
According to an agreement between Elizabeth River Crossings and the Virginia Department of Transportation, tolls can increase three point five percent per year, or the previous year’s consumer price index rate, whichever is greater.
Commuters on the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge (SNJB) and Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) are also seeing a hike in toll rates.