E-470 Toll Process ... Avoid?

[Doc Roads]

It’s been some time since I drove E-470 ... looked at the website and it sounds like a great way to get sideways with the CO DMV & other states DMVs (SD myself) Snail mail notices can be delayed and penalties get applied ... i read of other people’s experience and I plan to avoid it by traveling on N/S roads to the East. Anyone have another opinion or are there routes you like better or a highway to avoid?

 

[SeilerBird]

I love toll roads. Here in Florida they are the best maintained (smoothest) and the least traveled of our roads.

 

[X-Roughneck Strike 3]

I got two $35 Toll bills in the mail after we went from TX to Rushmore /Badlands in the late summer of 2019 when I was traversing the Denver Area.

I was not paying attention to the first bill as I figured it was for the Round Trip. It was real easy to get on the toll road as it is not manned, just photographed the plates and bills mailed to those with no Window toll tag. Not sure if I got hit with a out of state penalty, but these prices were just for traveling, Round Trip, thru the Denver area. $75 ish with 4 axle. It is the additional axle that drive up the pricing.

Couple weeks after the first bill came the second $35 bill came in the mail, and I am sure another barrage of 4 letter words spewing from my mouth.

I was at the time carrying my Mazda on the tow dolly, so 4 axle on the ground gave me this charge. I think they were actually $37 each?

Second time, year 2020, we went thru the Denver area to RMNP and took the main FREE Highway that went right past the Stadium where the Broncos Play Ball, free but I was jammed up in traffic as I did not time it right and hit the lunch crowd doing their thing.

 

[Oldgator73]

Not a fan of toll roads. I have accidentally gotten on toll roads that aren’t manned and received those bills in the mail. We went to Maine a few years ago and got hit with a huge toll going through NYC. On the return trip we took the Tapenzee bridge which doesn’t have a toll. We have a toll road in Delaware, Delaware 1. It’s $.50 where we get on and $1.00 if you stay on past a certain point. But on Friday afternoon and through the weekend the $1.00 toll goes up to $3.00. We also use the Bay Bridge quite a bit. No toll going towards DC but toll coming back towards DE.

 

[Doc Roads]

Roughneck’s experience is what I want to avoid ... I calculated the current toll for my distance, RV & towed and it’s about $55. That’s ok, however, automatic penalties are added when the toll is not paid within their set time frame. E-470 is a great road and avoids the bowels of Denver ... I more want to avoid the the whole interaction with DMV and snail mail bills with added penalties. Toll booth would be fine; cameras, not so much. If I was a local, I’d have a transponder and get it debited automatically and at a cheaper rate, but, I’m not local. So .... I’m going S to N, so I’ll probably take a parallel US Highway East of Denver and enjoy the plains of Eastern Colorado.

 

[Larry N.]

I more want to avoid the the whole interaction with DMV and snail mail bills with added penalties.

The E-470 is not Colorado DMV. They say "E-470 Authority is formed through Memorandum of Understanding between Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties" but is not the DMV. A minor quibble, I know, and yes, it's way (IMO) overpriced, even with the transponder (the transponder is cheap, one version is free but needs a $35 deposit).

Unfortunately it's only good in Colorado, and no other transponders from anywhere else work with it. A pain...

 

[prnebs]

So .... I’m going S to N, so I’ll probably take a parallel US Highway East of Denver and enjoy the plains of Eastern Colorado.

That is a good idea. I25 north & southbound between CO Springs & Castle Rock and between Denver (more like Windsor) & Fort Collins has miles of construction and is a mess. Narrow lanes, concrete dividers and stop & go traffic. If there is accident traffic is backed up miles & miles and may take hours to clear.
Which may not be too bad if you have snacks & bathroom available. Reminds me of an episode of Monk when they were in stopped traffic because of an accident. There was a motorhome in front of them and people were using their bathroom. Course Monk didn't.
Anyway, safe travels.

 

[Memtb]

That Kolorado toll road fee is ridiculous. I’ll drive an extra 500 miles to avoid Kolorado, just because of that toll road .....even if I will not travel that section of road. I’ll spend my money in another state! memtb

 

[Larry N.]

That Kolorado toll road fee is ridiculous. I’ll drive an extra 500 miles to avoid Kolorado, just because of that toll road .....even if I will not travel that section of road. I’ll spend my money in another state! memtb

I suppose that means you avoid Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and many, many other eastern states, plus who knows where else just because of one or more toll roads. Weird...

 

[Memtb]

I avoid Kalorado because of the outrageous charges on 470. Fool me once.....! Kansas is quite reasonable on their toll fees. I avoid most states east of the Mississippi and all NE states!

I think that should be clear enough....even if thought of as wierd!

 

[UTTransplant]

I don’t like the price of the 470, but I pay it because it is so painful to do through Denver north/south any other way. Luckily I only do it once or twice a year. I just wish they would use a pass that is used in other locations like the Kansas and Oklahoma passes. It would be cheaper that way since we have that transponder tag.

 

[Barnibus]

I pretty much avoid the entire I-25 Corridor , anymore. At Boise City, OK, I take US-385 north to Wray, CO, then US 34-to Greeley, and up US-85 to Cheyenne. If it's windy, though, US-85 can be a BEAR from about Nunn to the south side of Cheyenne.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Not a fan of toll roads. I have accidentally gotten on toll roads that aren’t manned and received those bills in the mail. We went to Maine a few years ago and got hit with a huge toll going through NYC. On the return trip we took the Tapenzee bridge which doesn’t have a toll. We have a toll road in Delaware, Delaware 1. It’s $.50 where we get on and $1.00 if you stay on past a certain point. But on Friday afternoon and through the weekend the $1.00 toll goes up to $3.00. We also use the Bay Bridge quite a bit. No toll going towards DC but toll coming back towards DE.

NYC charges for going into the city but it is free when leaving.
Therefore, the bridges & tunnels only charge in one direction.

 

[prnebs]

I pretty much avoid the entire I-25 Corridor , anymore. At Boise City, OK, I take US-385 north to Wray, CO, then US 34-to Greeley, and up US-85 to Cheyenne. If it's windy, though, US-85 can be a BEAR from about Nunn to the south side of Cheyenne.

I-25 north of Wellington is good. There is a Wy Welcome Center north of Colorado border that is big and has a dump station.

 

[arstidir]

I guess you use some toll app? If not, I recommend Uproad. There are many others, but I use this one and can recommend it. SR-261 Toll Road info like prices, cost or payment options. here's their site.

 

[LarsMac]

I may be in a minority, here, but, I LIKE toll roads, most of the time.
I worked for a company in Broomfield, and traveled around a lot for work. I was thrilled when E-470 opened up, as at the time I was living in the SE US, and had to fly in to Denver airport and drive to Broomfield a lot. E-470 made the airport drive remarkably easy.
Later, I moved to Boulder County, and was then flying out to customer locations. The drive to the Airport was, again, delightful.
I also picked up customers in the CO Springs area, and had to drive down there regularly.
While the E-470 run cost me a few bucks and was 9 miles longer, I could make the drive to the Springs in half the time of negotiating I-25 through Denver.

And other toll roads are often worth the expense, as well. I will take the scenic routes when in no hurry, but, if I have to be somewhere, the toll roads usually make the trip a lot less stressful.
There are some exceptions, of course. I avoid the Texas tolls roads. None of them ever seem to go anywhere I want to be.

Yes, E-470 can be a bit of a pain if you are just passing through, and don't plan to come back, again.

 

[PopPop51]

I may be in a minority, here, but, I LIKE toll roads, most of the time.

Me, too. My time and stress not spent in heavy or slow traffic has value.

 

[Larry N.]

I may be in a minority, here, but, I LIKE toll roads, most of the time.

Even when it costs several hundred dollars? We made the mistake one time of taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike and, in our three axle Beaver with toad, we paid well over $200 for going only part way across the state -- never again, especially since it was an Interstate and was (mostly) pretty sorry road.

 

[LarsMac]

Even when it costs several hundred dollars? We made the mistake one time of taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike and, in our three axle Beaver with toad, we paid well over $200 for going only part way across the state -- never again, especially since it was an Interstate and was (mostly) pretty sorry road.

Pennsylvania has been on my "states to avoid" list ever since my trucking days in the late 70s. Nice to know the roads haven't improved much.