Motorists who use toll roads on their commute and have had a reprieve because of Irma needed their SunPass or toll money ready Thursday.

  • Tolls returned to toll roads across the state Thursday
  • Tolls were suspended to help with Irma evacuations, relief efforts
  • Expressway Authority says it lost $16 million in tolls

Tolls were reinstated throughout the state Thursday morning, a decision made by Gov. Rick Scott in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

He suspended tolls Sept. 5, because he wanted to focus on recovery efforts and allow people to evacuate and return to the state before and after the storm.

Ken Staton filled up at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza in Orange County on Thursday. He said he's used to paying for tolls, so it is not a huge deal they were reinstated.

"It doesn't make much of a difference for me, because I travel back and forth on the toll roads. But I imagine for the utility workers coming from out of state, it was a big help for them. I saw many, many different trucks on the road coming back and forth," Staton said.

Even though the toll suspension saved people some money, the Central Florida Expressway Authority lost money.

Expressway Authority spokesman Brian Hutchings said since Sept. 5, the agency has lost almost $16 million. He also said the agency was above toll revenue projections, so it shouldn't have too much of a negative impact on the agency. 

Hutchings said he didn't think tolls will increase as a result.