Ask 2: Why aren’t all the lanes open at West Beltway toll booths?

HOUSTON – At KPRC 2, we’re dedicated to keeping Houstonians informed. As part of our Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston.

Question: Why aren’t all the lanes open at the toll booths?

Answer: We reached out to the Harris County Toll Road Authority, and they told us there are a few reasons the additional cash lanes are closed at the toll plazas:

• Payments are handled electronically now, so they are no longer used.
• HCTRA had a number of incidents where drivers speeding through these very narrow lanes misjudged and hit the plaza, causing serious crashes.

Closing the narrow lanes gets rid of these issues making it safe for drivers all around.