New Interstate-95 express toll lanes are scheduled to open Saturday along the highway north of Baltimore.
The toll lanes, two in each direction, run for about eight miles along the highway, in between the northbound and southbound traffic lanes. They will be free to use for a week as travelers get used to how they operate.
Round-trip, peak-hour commutes via the express lanes will cost drivers $3.50 after the first week. Off-peak and overnight rates vary. The tolls are collected electronically, via E-ZPass, or mailed — at a higher rate — to drivers' homes.
Traffic patterns began to shift north of downtown Thursday in preparation for the weekend.
The changes were introduced between late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning near the two points where toll lane traffic will re-enter standard travel lanes on northbound I-95 and southbound Interstate 895, the Maryland Transportation Authority said.
Liz Bowie