Toll questions still linger 2 years after Border West Expressway opening

EL PASO, Texas -- It's been nearly two years since the Border West Expressway opened. Despite there being toll gantries up, it's still a toll free road.

But the question remains: Will there or will there not be toll lanes in the Sun City?

El Pasoan Kay Gamboa is among those concerned about the added expense for driving in toll lanes.

“I was hoping they would never start charging people," she said. "I know a couple of years back they wanted to institute that program but it was not successful, and every time I take it I get a little nervous that maybe this one time they are going to start charging.”

City officials also echoed Gamboa's concerns.

At the moment, all the toll roads in El Paso are in a toll deferment position, meaning they are currently free to use but could be subject to future tolls. Former and now current El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser was in office when the original plans to build the toll roads began.

Leeser believes the city already paid for the cost of the highways with federal funding dollars, so he doesn't think drivers should have to pay tolls.

“I think it’s important to know that the toll roads were built without debt, so the charge of the usage of the toll road would be like double-taxing or double-charging. So, I think its important that we don’t toll the roads,” Leeser said.

ABC-7 asked officials about how much the current toll infrastructure cost to put up, and what it might cost to remove.

The Executive Director of the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority or RMA said that the tolling equipment belongs to Texas Department of Transportation, which did not provide those totals.