ORLANDO, Fla. – Signs lining the Beachline near Orlando International Airport read "NO TOLL" early Monday morning as crews prepared to raze a toll booth.
More than 30 years after opening the Airport Toll Plaza, the Expressway Authority said crews are tearing it down to improve traffic flow.
With nearly 75,000 drivers passing through the toll plaza every day, drivers in the area say the traffic backup near the toll is enough to prevent them from using State Road 528 some days.
"On the way back after work, usually there's probably a good quarter-mile to half-mile backup in those tolls," said Duncan Braots, of Orlando.
Drivers, however, won't save money because new plazas have been built at several exits in the area.The new combined tolling structure adds tolls on Conway Road, Tradeport Drive and Boggy Creek Road. Instead of paying at the airport, drivers will be charged when they're getting on or off those ramps.
There will also be E-Pass readers at Boggy Creek Road to give drivers a discount if they are only on S.R. 528 for a short distance. But drivers without an E-Pass or Sunpass, who try to pay with cash, will be charged the full amount of $2.25.
Demolition will take nearly six weeks to complete.