The proposed elevated tolled lanes on U.S. 280, which would serve as express lanes to alleviate traffic congestion, could carry tolls of $0.20-$0.25 per mile, according to ALDOT spokesperson Tony Harris.

“No final determination has been made on what exactly the toll rate would be. It appears the $0.20-$0.25 is maybe what it would be,” Harris said. “It’s still under study. And that’s provided we move forward at all.”

Electronic card readers would scan special cards or stickers affixed to vehicles traveling on the elevated lanes.

Harris said the tolls would partly be used to pay the debt service on the cost of constructing the elevated lanes.

If the proposal is approved, U.S. 280 would have a total capacity of 10 lanes, with four elevated tolled express lanes and the existing six lanes remaining for normal traffic.

However, the express lanes would only be elevated from Eagle Point Parkway in Shelby County to Interstate 459 in Jefferson County. The express lanes would then be on ground level from I-459 until the Elton B. Stephens Expressway in Jefferson County.

“Drivers would have two options,” Harris said. “They could pay the toll to get on the express lanes, or they could get on the existing capacity lanes and go wherever they wanted to go.”

The toll lanes could be accessed at certain points along the 10-mile route, including at Hollywood Boulevard, Green Valley Road, Dolly Ridge Road, Summit Boulevard, I-459, Valleydale Road and Eagle Point Parkway.

The current estimated cost of the project would be $700-$800 million, Harris said.