Tolls along the Georgia 400 in metro Atlanta are now gone with the wind, with the final fees being collected on Friday, but it may come with another price.

Traffic along the route may increase as much as near 20%, according to state officials.

In July of 2012, Gov. Nathan Deal announced that the state would pay off its outstanding bond debt and end tolls on the route by December 2013.

On Oct. 25, a demolition project, with restriping of what were previously the Peach Pass electronic toll lanes and removing and modifying “toll” related signage began.

The Georgia Department of Transportation, which is managing the construction of the demolition project, said no heavy demolition work is expected to take place during the winter holidays.

In January, work will begin to remove the toll booths, the canopy, as well as reinforcement and filling of the tunnel stairwells. The demolition project will be completed in the fall of 2014.

Completed in 1993, the Georgia 400 extension has provided easy access to downtown Atlanta from north Fulton and Forsyth Counties, with almost 120,000 commuters using the road each weekday.

State officials say it has collected $300 million in toll revenue and $11 million in fines from drivers who didn't pay over the past 20 years.

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