NORTH CAROLINA — Drivers on the Triangle Expressway and the Monroe Expressway will have to pay a little more to drive on the toll roads starting Jan. 1. But this increase was planned from the start.

The rate for cars and other 2-axle vehicles with a N.C. Quick Pass going the full 18.8 miles on the Triangle Expressway will go up 9 cents to $3.80. For the full 19.8 miles on the Monroe Expressway, the rate will go up 5 cents to $2.77.

Fees are higher for bigger vehicles and drivers without a Quick Pass.

The annual increases are part of a schedule adopted by the North Carolina Turnpike Authority Board.

“Toll revenue is used to pay off bonds sold to fund the construction of the projects, as well as fund the overall road maintenance including repairs, mowing and winter weather preparation and response,” according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

N.C. Quick Pass has the full schedule of rates for all toll roads on its website.  

The Monroe Expressway, also known as the U.S. Route 74 Bypass, runs southeast of Charlotte from the suburban city of Matthews to Wingate.

The Triangle Expressway, an extension of Interstate 540, runs from south Durham to Apex.