MIDDLEBURG, Fla. — The toll-free days along the newest stretch of the First Coast Expressway are coming to an end.

Tolls will start Monday from Blanding Boulevard in Middleburg to US-17 in Green Cove Springs.

Now, drivers will have to decide if the convenience is worth the price — with an eye on just how far this thing will stretch when it’s done.

“I’ve honestly noticed a lot more traffic in general,” said Cosmic Smoke Shop Cashier Snow.

Snow says it’s been a busy month at the Cosmic Smoke Shop on Blanding Boulevard.

She believes it’s not mere chance that the recent opening of the First Coast Expressway section leading to Green Cove Springs has occurred at this time.

“We welcome visitors from various places,” Snow mentioned. “Many individuals commute throughout Florida and frequently use that expressway, which is beneficial for them.”

Those drivers will have to start paying come Monday.

After a month long grace period, the license plate readers will turn on along the new stretch.

“Our main objective was to make the roadway operational swiftly, so we allowed access even while it was technically still underway,” explained Hampton Ray, Spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation. “Now, the toll systems are fully optimized for toll collection.”

Those tolls vary by segment, but start at $.65.

Ray anticipates increased usage of the new section as drivers become accustomed to it, offering some relief to the traffic on its feeder roads.

“We have seen a significant improvement on arterial roads, which are the local roadways that include US 17 and Blanding Boulevard,” Ray said. 

The newly opened segment features a bridge over Black Creek. FDOT is also developing a more expansive bridge that will eventually replace the Shands and span the St. Johns River, connecting the toll road from I-95 in St. Johns County to I-10 in Jacksonville.

This larger project is scheduled for completion by 2030. For now, Snow must decide if paying the toll to reach Green Cove Springs is worth it to her.

“Oh most definitely. I hate traffic,” Snow said. “I’m definitely going to pay the toll, I don’t care. I can’t sit in it.”

If Snow is going to pay the toll, FDOT recommends using SunPass, which saves most drivers $.27 cents for most tolls compared to pay-by-plate.