Tolls are increasing for motorists driving in and out of the Florida Keys via Card Sound Road, an alternate route to the 18-Mile Stretch,.
County officials are revising an ordinance to increase toll rates at the Card Sound Road Bridge heading into Monroe County by the consumer price index of 8.5%. With Sunpass, the rate for a 2-axle vehicle will increase from 80 cents to 87 cents, while the rate for a 3-axle or greater will go from $1.05 to $1.14 per axle. Each additional axle will increase from $1.05 to $1.14.
With increased administrative costs for collecting and processing toll-by-plate transactions, a toll-by-plate, 2-axle rate will be established at $1.31 per axle, the 3-axle will be established at $1.71 and each additional axle will be $1.71.
County officials say an aging Card Sound Bridge will eventually need to be replaced. Per a 2014 bridge assessment report, the bridge should be replaced in 2030. The estimated price tag at that time was $32 million.
Monroe County is hoping to secure $1.8 million in federal funds for planning, design and engineering for the bridge replacement project. It’s one of 26 bridges the county maintains and one of two evacuation routes from the Florida Keys to the mainland.
Constructed in 1969, Card Sound Bridge is scheduled for replacement to ensure the route’s safety. Card Sound Road, which starts in Florida City and ends in North Key Largo, is used by Ocean Reef Club workers and motorists who avert heavy traffic on the 18-Mile Stretch during weekends.
During a recent meeting of the Monroe Board of County Commissioners, new County Commissioner Jim Scholl said officials should consider raising the toll by a dollar.
“I don’t think it’s onerous to me, but I don’t use that bridge all the time,” he said. “I’m concerned that’s going to be an expensive project.”
Assistant County Administrator Kevin Wilson told commissioners to consider raising the tolls “significantly.”
“I thought we should go 200 or 300% of the rate at the time,” he said, adding that a plan was brought before county commissioners to raise tolls to fund a portion of the bridge project.
Mayor David Rice said it seemed odd that the county’s raising a few bucks on the toll when it’s been known for 30 years that the bridge would need to be replaced.
“I can assure you we’ll never raise money in this period of time to pay for the bridge,” he said.
A public hearing on the proposed toll rate increases was held June 16. Rate hikes will take effect Oct. 1.
Two discount programs are available to Monroe County residents with two-axle vehicles that use SunPass and have an account in good standing. One is a monthly rebate program for frequent users who drive two-axle vehicles. Those who make at least 28 one-way trips through the toll automatically receive a 40% rebate on their Sunpass accounts after any calendar month. The annual pass program beginning last January allows drivers of two-axle vehicles unlimited trips through the toll facility for a year. People must purchase a Sunpass transponder, open an account, sign up for the program with the Card Sound Toll Authority and pay a fee of $385.
Discount programs do not apply to vehicles towing a boat or trailer. Accounts will be charged $1.05 per axle for any vehicle going through the toll with three axles or more, even if people have an annual pass. Trips made through the toll with three axles or more will not count toward the rebate program.
In 1989, the toll on Card Sound Road had a 50-cent per-axle cost. The rate stayed in place for decades with the exception of a three-year period from 1992-95 when it was 75 cents per axle. In 1964, the original toll was 50 cents per car. In 2017, the toll went completely electronic.
