Deal fulfills promise, ends Ga. 400 Tolls

Gov. Nathan Deal today fulfilled promises made by leaders 20 years ago and by himself during his 2010 campaign by ending toll collection on Ga. 400. Shortly after recognizing the first motorists to pay the toll on the Ga. 400 Extension 20 years ago, Deal surprised onlookers by asking Linda and Mike Weinroth to pay the last toll on the roadway. At 11:25 am, the governor collected one 1993 quarter and one 2013 quarter from the Weinroths and officially ended tolling on Ga. 400. Tolls had been originally scheduled to end after the evening rush hour. 

“I made a promise that the tolls would end when the bond debt was paid and I am proud to stand here today to mark the end of that debt, and the fulfillment of that commitment,” Deal said. “I am happy to announce that Ga. 400 motorists can now keep their change.”            

In July 2012, Deal announced that the state would pay off its outstanding bond debt and end tolls on Ga. 400 by December 2013. On Oct. 25, Southeastern Site Development, Inc., of Newnan, began the demolition project, with restriping of what were previously the Peach Pass electronic toll lanes and removing and modifying “toll” related signage. Additional work this weekend will include placing concrete barriers between the Peach Pass and cash lanes and shifting traffic into the electronic lanes. By Monday morning’s commute, drivers will no longer drive through the toll booth area and will have three continuous lanes to use.

“This is a day that will go down in history. Ga. 400 has been an economic powerhouse for the Buckhead and north Fulton areas and beyond for two decades,” said Christopher Tomlinson, SRTA’s Executive Director. “I’m especially proud of the men and women that have served thousands and thousands of motorists through this toll plaza since 1993.”

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), which is managing the construction of the demolition project, said no heavy demolition work is expected to take place during the winter holidays. In January, work will begin to remove the toll booths, the canopy, as well as reinforcement and filling of the tunnel stairwells. The demolition project will be completed in the fall of 2014.

Ga. 400 Fact Sheet
Completed in 1993, the Ga. 400 extension has provided easy access to downtown Atlanta from north Fulton and Forsyth counties, with almost 120,000 commuters using the road each weekday. The tollway has contributed to incredible economic growth along the corridor. Below are a few facts about the Ga. 400 Toll:

• Exact Date the Tolls Began – Aug. 1, 1993
• Days the Tolls Have Been Open – 7,414 days
• Percentage of Coins Collected Yearly by Denomination (2012) 

o   Penny –  .0002 percent

o   Nickel – 1.8405 percent

o   Dime – 6.3204 percent

o  Quarter – 91.83 percent

o   Half – .004 percent

o   Dollar - .005 percent

• Number of Quarters Collected in FY2012 – 42,984,861. That’s 2,687 tons of quarters.
• Average Amount Collected Daily – $59,000.
• Total Length of Ga. 400 Extension – 6.2 miles. That’s one-tenth of the length of I-285.
• Cars Using Peach Passes or Cruise Cards – 45 percent (53,550 cars per day). That’s slightly more than the capacity of Turner Field.

Toll Plaza Facts

• 18 lanes (nine northbound and nine southbound)
• 14 cash lanes, four Peach Pass lanes
• Eight toll booths w/ cashiers (four in each direction)
• Six automatic cash machines (just the baskets, no cashiers)
• Tunnel – 600 feet across running under the roadway
• Nine stairwells used by cashiers to access their toll booths