E-470 goes cash-free, but expect a bill

There's no need to haul out the wallet anymore on trips along the E-470 tollway in Denver.

The E-470 cash lanes will be shut down permanently starting Saturday, and drivers without an ExpressToll account will have their license plates automatically photographed and a bill sent to the vehicle's registered owner.

"It's a much, much safer system," said Jo Snell, spokeswoman for the E-470 Public Highway Authority. "The majority of our accidents were at our toll plazas while customers were slowing down to pay or pulling away. That's not go to happen any more."

The move to a nonstop, cashless system will save the company about $2 million a year, Snell said. About 100 positions will be eliminated with the switch.

A phase-in of the license plate pay system started in January on the tollway that runs along the eastern edge of Denver and connects drivers to the Denver International Airport.

Fewer than one in 10 drivers has been paying with cash, Snell said. Most pay through an ExpressToll account that charges a 10 percent lower rate.

Drivers do not need to register for the license plate toll system, which takes photographs of the front and back license plates while a car is in motion. Bills are sent out once a month, and if they are not paid within a month they become a toll violation with escalating fees and fines.

Infrared cameras purchased last fall show the license plate numbers as well as what state the car is from.

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