The cost of using the I-85 HOT lane through Gwinnett and DeKalb counties hit $5.00 for the first time this year Wednesday morning.
At 7:29 a.m., the price on the 16-mile stretch of the southbound HOT lane jumped from $4.85 to the new benchmark for 2012 of $5.00. At 8:06, the price dropped back to $4.05.
The HOT lane toll is set on a sliding scale depending on the level of congestion on I-85 and in the HOT lane.
The highest price ever remains $5.45, charged during the first week the lanes opened last year.
According to the State Road and Tollway Authority's website, "when HOT lanes become too congested, the price increases and this in turn reduces the number of cars entering the lane."
The website says that the authority's goal is to keep traffic in the HOT lane moving at an average speed of greater than 45 mph during peak hours.
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